December 11, 2025 Travelers crossing coming into the United States could be required to submit their social media history under a new proposal from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The proposal covers all entries into the U.S. and affects travellers from 42 visa-waiver countries who need an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to enter the country. But Canadian citizens crossing the border will not be affected as they are not required to use ESTA.
The proposal is tied to Executive Order 14161, which directs federal agencies to strengthen national security vetting. “The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years,” the agency wrote, describing the move as part of broader efforts to gather “high value data fields” for identity verification.
The ESTA is a document that allows citizens of visa-waived countries to enter the U.S. for visits up to 90 days. Canadian citizens do not need a visa for tourism-related entries into the U.S. However, unlike citizens of Britain, Germany, France, Australia and Japan, they do not need an ESTA and only have to provide proof of their Canadian citizenship and some other documents to enter the U.S. Hence, they are exempted from the proposed rule. This exemption does not cover non-Canadian citizens crossing from Canada into the U.S.
The planned expansion goes beyond social media. Visitors could also be asked to provide telephone numbers used in the past five years, email addresses used in the past 10 years and IP address information associated with photos submitted electronically.
The move comes as the Trump administration increases its use of online activity in immigration and security decisions. On the first day of his new term, President Donald Trump called for restrictions to make sure that travelers to the U.S. “do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles.” Recent actions have reflected the extension of social-media vetting in U.S. immigration pathways, as travelers have reportedly been denied entry over their social media posts and messages.
The proposal is now open for public comment for 60 days. If approved, the new rule would lead to even less crossings between the countries. Already, there has been a significant drop in travel from Canada to the U.S. via air and road, according to Statistics Canada.
