US plans to implement tourist social media checks before travel
Tourists set to have their social media checked before travel to US
- The US Department of Homeland Security plans to make providing five years of social media activity a mandatory requirement for Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta) applications.
- This new measure is designed to meet President Trump’s demand for maximum vetting and screening of foreign visitors.
- Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, warned that these new barriers would significantly harm UK travel to the USA, potentially reversing current booking trends.
- Further proposals include moving all Esta applications to a mobile-only app to enhance security, improve efficiency, and combat fraudulent third-party websites.
- A new system is also suggested to confirm the departure of short-term visitors from the US, using geolocation services and 'liveness detection' software for selfies.