Trump's New Rule: Foreign Tourists, Including Brits, Must Share Five Years of Social Media History to Enter the U.S.

TOURISTS entering America will have their social media histories checked at border control, if the latest Trump administration mandate is enforced.

The proposed social media screening would apply to all tourists – including Brits – entering the US, regardless of whether they need a visa or not.

Currently, British tourists do not require a visa to visit the US and instead can complete Electronic System for Travel Authorizations (ESTA).

The Federal Register notice states it would be mandatory for all foreign tourists to provide data from their social media from the past five years, including email addresses and phone numbers.

Names, addresses, numbers and birthdays of family members would also be included in the compulsory information passed to the country’s border force.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has also proposed that moving forward, ESTA applications would require a selfie and wants to collect biometrics including face, fingerprints, DNA and iris data.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal.

It comes as Trump continues his campaign to crack down on border and immigration issues which has been a key part in his agenda.

In June, the State Department told embassies and consulates that the social media accounts of students applying for visas should be made public , noting that “limited access to, or visibility of, online presence could be construed as an effort to evade or hide certain activity.”

The checks were to ensure people coming into the US “do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests”.

Earlier this month, .

The directive received by embassies instructs consular officials to consider banning people who suffer from certain health conditions – one of which was obesity.

Obesity is among several chronic afflictions which could see immigrants rejected by the US, along with sleep apnea, high blood pressure and asthma.

In an attempt to avoid immigrants relying on public benefits paid by taxpayers, the directive issued by the state department last week urges embassy officials to consider applicant’s health and financial status when granting visas.

Consular officials will now have more authority to veto applicants experts say, widening criteria on health screenings that have long been part of visa applications.

The directive, obtained by KFF Health News, states: “Certain medical conditions — including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases and mental-health conditions — can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care.”

Eze Chidiebere Paul

I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!