The United States is proposing mandatory social media checks for all tourists from visa waiver countries, including the Netherlands.
That means anyone heading to America might soon need to disclose every Instagram post, tweet, and TikTok video from the past five years before they can even board the plane.
It sounds like something out of a dystopian novel, but it’s very real.
The US Customs and Border Protection published a proposal on Wednesday requiring all visitors using the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) to provide their complete social media history spanning five years.
What exactly does America want to know?
And yes, the proposed changes go far beyond asking for your Facebook username.
According to CNBC, ESTA applicants will need to provide social media handles from platforms including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Reddit, WhatsApp, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Travellers will also need to hand over telephone numbers used in the past five years, email addresses from the past decade, and detailed information about family members.
You’ll also need to upload a selfie through a mandatory mobile app.
The proposal even mentions collecting biometric data “when feasible”, which could include fingerprints, DNA, and iris scans.
From optional to obligatory
Social media questions have been part of the ESTA application since 2016, but answering them has always been optional.
Now? Not so much. The US Department of Homeland Security wants to make social media disclosure a mandatory requirement.
According to AD, private companies will be paid to use artificial intelligence to scour through social media platforms and flag “suspicious” public posts to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Who does this affect?
This proposal specifically targets travellers from the 42 countries in the Visa Waiver Program, which includes the Netherlands, UK, Australia, Japan, and most of Western Europe.
The ESTA system costs €40 and typically provides almost instant approval online, valid for two years. This proposal would transform it into something far more invasive.
Dutch travel industry organisation ANVR is taking a wait-and-see approach. Spokesperson Hanita van der Meer tells AD that “we still have to see how this will work out in practice”.
The free speech irony nobody’s missing
Here’s where it gets properly awkward: this proposal comes from an administration led by President Donald Trump, who frequently positions himself as a champion of free speech and has accused Europe of censorship.
And it’s not just theoretical. A French scientist was reportedly denied entry at the US border after officials searched his phone and found messages criticising the Trump government.
So much for that freedom of expression, then.
What happens next?
The good news (if you can call it that) is this isn’t final yet. The proposal has been given a 60-day public comment period, meaning it could still be revised or even scrapped entirely.
For now, nothing changes for travellers who already have valid ESTA approvals. But if you’re planning a US trip for 2026, especially around major events like the World Cup, you might want to start scrolling through your old posts now.
Are you planning a trip to the US? Will these new requirements make you think twice about travelling there? Tell us in the comments below!
