The United States is preparing major changes to its Visa Waiver Program, proposing that all applicants provide details of their social media activity from the past five years. According to a new notice from the Department of Homeland Security, the update to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization will soon appear in the Federal Register.
US Customs and Border Protection said the revised system would make social-media disclosure compulsory rather than optional. The agency noted that this move supports Executive Order 14161, issued in January 2025, which directs federal agencies to strengthen vetting procedures to better detect foreign security risks. CBP believes mandatory reporting will help verify identities, uncover fr@ud and improve national-security checks.
The proposal also includes extensive new data requirements. Applicants may be asked for email addresses used over the last ten years, phone numbers from the past five years, IP addresses, photo metadata, expanded family details and additional biometrics such as facial recognition, fingerprints, iris scans and DNA. DHS said these changes align with updated federal data-collection rules released in April.
Another key shift is a plan to permanently close the ESTA website and require all submissions through a mobile app. With more than 14 million annual applications, the agency expects the added requirements and platform change to increase compliance efforts.
DHS will accept public comments on the proposed updates, including the mandatory social-media rule, for 60 days after publication. If approved, the measures would mark one of the most significant expansions of digital-identity and online-activity screening in US immigration history.
