- The US is imposing stricter ESTA rules for travelers from 42 Visa Waiver Program countries to enhance national security screening.
- New mandatory data requirements include social media history, phone numbers, email addresses, and the collection of biometric data such as fingerprints and iris scans.
- The expanded data collection aims to thoroughly vet visitors and stems from heightened security mandates and concerns over digital surveillance.
- The proposal transforms ESTA from a quick process into a more rigorous and potentially time-consuming procedure, raising global concerns about data privacy
The United States is implementing major changes to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for travelers from 42 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, including key allies such as the UK, France, Germany, and Japan. These new, stricter regulations, set to be finalized soon, are designed to enhance national security by significantly expanding the data collected from visitors seeking to enter the US for up to 90 days without a traditional visa.
The most notable changes involve a demand for deeply personal digital and biometric information. Under the new proposal by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), VWP travelers will be required to submit social media handles used over the past five years, phone numbers used over the last five years, and email addresses utilized over the last decade. Critically, the proposal also calls for the collection of biometric data, including fingerprints and iris scans. This marks the most significant update to the ESTA system since its inception and transforms the previously straightforward application into a rigorous, potentially time-consuming process.
These changes are driven by an executive order mandating heightened security measures and follow increasing concerns over digital surveillance and device searches at US borders. The European Union, for instance, previously issued burner phones to certain senior officials traveling to the US in 2024 to mitigate data privacy risks from device scrutiny. Critics of the new ESTA rules argue that such invasive data collection could complicate travel plans for millions of tourists and business visitors, raise serious concerns about data privacy and surveillance, and potentially lead to logistical delays. The proposal is currently open to public feedback before the regulations are finalized and officially implemented.
