The United States is planning a stringent new travel requirement ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The rule would require tourists from 42 visa-waiver countries to submit five years of social media history.
The proposal, pushed by President Donald Trump, has sparked immediate and widespread backlash online. Fans fear it will create massive airport delays and deter travel for the global event.
The policy would require every tourist to list all social media accounts used in the past five years. They must also provide old phone numbers, past email addresses, and multiple biometric details. These include facial recognition data, fingerprints, and even DNA samples. Officials defend the measure as necessary to screen for “anti-American views” before entry.
“Congrats on killing tourism”: US may soon require 5 years of your social media to enter the country https://t.co/qmDoR76N9N pic.twitter.com/xRLQ8t6hLe
— The Daily Dot (@dailydot) December 11, 2025President Trump established this framework via an executive order on his first day in office in 2025. The United States is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico. FIFA expects millions of international fans to travel across North America for the tournament. This new rule could significantly impact those travel numbers and the event’s atmosphere.
Visitors to the US from countries including the UK will need to show five years of social media history as part of the latest travel clampdown https://t.co/u7OyxWc9dq pic.twitter.com/9MNqy9TCz5
— The i Paper (@theipaper) December 10, 2025Netizens have reacted with anger and concern on social media platforms. One user on X commented, “The Trump administration is trying to make it a requirement that Foreign tourists… submit at least five years of their social media data! This will end up causing the numbers to dwindle.” Another wrote about the potential for arbitrary exclusion based on old posts.
BREAKING: Tourists from 42 countries, including UK, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Israel, New Zealand, and South Korea, may soon have to submit 5 years of social media history to enter the U.S. under the ESTA program, along with emails, phone numbers, and personal info.… pic.twitter.com/OdqlTTEsUL
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) December 11, 2025The rule specifically targets travellers from countries in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This includes nations like the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, and Japan. Visitors from these countries currently enter the US without a visa under the ESTA system. The new requirement would add a substantial layer of pre-travel scrutiny.
