As the US is taking various safety measures to protect the country from external threats, now the government would scan social media history of the foreign tourists during the Visa process.
This particular criterion is not new as Visa applicants had to share their social media platforms with USCIS for decades but now the scrutiny has been tightened even for the tourists.
The proposed measures will impact virtually all foreign travelers seeking entry into the United States.
This would help the CBP to identify external threats. These aim to bolster security protocols amid evolving global threats.
Key updates include the introduction of a voluntary “self-reported exit” system, which enables foreign nationals to verify their departure by providing passport details, a live selfie, and geolocation data via the CBP mobile app.
Additionally, all applicants under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will be required to upload selfies, extending this mandate to those submitting through intermediaries like travel agents.
To combat fraud, the ESTA application process will shift exclusively to mobile platforms, phasing out web-based submissions. This decision follows CBP’s findings of rampant misuse, including substandard image quality and deceptive third-party sites imposing extra charges on applicants.
Further expansions involve collecting “high-value data fields” to strengthen vetting procedures. These encompass social media profiles spanning the previous five years, phone numbers and email addresses dating back ten years, IP addresses, and, where practical, biometric information such as fingerprints, facial recognition, DNA, and iris scans. Such requirements originate from a January 2025 executive order focused on countering foreign terrorist risks.
The Visa Waiver Program will also see revisions, notably the recent exclusion of Romania, with potential inclusions of other nations anticipated in the near future. According to CBP, these reforms are intended to minimize fraudulent activities, enhance identity authentication, and address persistent shortcomings in monitoring the entry and exit of international visitors.
“Any traveler entering the U.S. is subject to CBP inspection,” stated CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham in May. He emphasized that while such examinations remain “rare” and “highly regulated,” they have proven effective in uncovering instances of “terrorism, smuggling, human trafficking and visa fraud.”
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