The U.S. government is contemplating requiring foreign travelers to submit their social media history for the past five years in order to enter the country. According to Bloomberg, this applies to citizens from Australia, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom who can enter the U.S. without a visa.
As stated in a release by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, the Customs and Border Protection agency intends to include social media data as a mandatory component of traveler checks for those entering the U.S. under the visa waiver program.
Feedback on this initiative is expected within 60 days.
Overall, the proposal could affect travelers from around 40 countries who can stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa and undergo pre-departure screening through an electronic system known as ESTA.
This move is the latest in a series of measures by the administration of President Donald Trump aimed at tightening entry controls for foreigners to the U.S.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has suspended the processing of all immigration applications from Afghan nationals until the review of 'security protocols and checks' is completed.