Overview
- Under the draft rule, ESTA applicants would have to disclose social‑media accounts and five years of activity, a shift from the current voluntary disclosure.
- The proposal would expand data collection to past phone numbers and email addresses, details about close relatives, birth dates and places, and certain biometrics.
- Applications would be submitted only through the official ESTA mobile app rather than the website if the rule is finalized.
- The changes target travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries, including most of Europe as well as Japan, Australia and Israel, for stays of up to 90 days.
- Privacy advocates and industry sources warn of free‑speech and operational impacts, with critics noting applications lacking social‑media details could be ruled incomplete and denied.