The US government will soon require travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries to submit up to five years of their social media history, according to a proposal by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register on Wednesday (Dec. 10, local time).
This new requirement, part of an executive order signed in January, mandates that travelers complete their Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application with social media details from the past five years. ESTA is used to determine eligibility for visa-free travel to the United States for up to 90 days.
The proposal also asks applicants to provide additional data when possible, including phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, family names, and biometric information such as fingerprints and facial recognition.
The rule would affect travelers from numerous countries in the Visa Waiver Program, including most European nations, as well as Australia, Japan, South Korea, and others. The proposal is open for public comments for 60 days.
This move is part of broader efforts by the United States to tighten immigration controls. The US State Department reported this week that 85,000 visas have been revoked since January, more than double the number of revocations from the previous year.
(Source: Xinhua)
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