Irish travellers to US may have to submit five years of social media history

Irish tourists planning to visit the US may soon have to undergo social media screenings to enter the country.

The move comes as the Trump administration has started to put heavy scrutiny on travellers looking to visit the US.

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Under a new proposal filed by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) this week, all travellers looking to enter the country would be subject to submit five years of their social media history for review.

CBP said in a notice,

"In order to comply with the January 2025 Executive Order 14161 (Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats), CBP is adding social media as a mandatory data element for an Esta (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) application.

"The data element will require Esta applicants to provide their social media from the last five years."

The proposal is now open for consultation for the next 60 days.

The Esta application costs €40 and lasts for two years, enabling citizens from participating countries to travel to the US for up to 90 days without a visa, provided they meet certain conditions.

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CBP also said that it plans to ask Esta applicants for personal data including phone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the last 10 years, and names, addresses and dates of birth of family members.

The US State Department also plans to expand the requirement for travellers "online presence", including H-1B visa applicants and their dependents where they would be "instructed to adjust the provacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'," adding that "A US Visa is a privilege, not a right".

This month, the US State Department said it would expand the requirement for “online presence reviews” for all H-1B visa applicants and their dependents, in addition to students and exchange visitors already subject to the review.

Advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland states, "The US authorities may ask to search your electronic devices, such as your phones, computers, or tablets, when you are entering the United States.

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"They may request your passwords and they are not required to provide a reason for doing so. If you refuse, they may deny you entry into the United States.

"Furthermore, the US authorities have indicated that they may consider activity on social media when making decisions about your immigration status."