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A newly proposed requirement for soccer tournament supporters traveling to the US to hand over personal social media account information has been called "deeply troubling."

Compulsory Disclosure for ESTA Travelers

According to the proposal, visitors from 42 countries—such as the UK—who use the visa waiver program would be obliged to provide information about social media accounts they have held in the last five-year period. Previously, submitting this data was optional.

"These announced plans are deeply concerning," stated Ronan Evain, head of Football Supporters Europe. "Freedom of expression and the right to privacy are fundamental rights. No football fan gives up those rights just because they enter a country."

He added, "This policy introduces a climate of fear of monitoring that directly contradicts the inclusive atmosphere the World Cup is meant to embody and it must be withdrawn immediately."

Origins in an Previous Executive Order

The plan follows an presidential directive issued by former President Trump in early 2025 that seeks "to ensure that all aliens seeking admission the US are thoroughly checked to the maximum degree feasible."

Official Statement and Justification

A representative for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) offered context on the matter. "This is not a change on this subject for those coming to the United States," the spokesperson stated. "It is not a final rule, it is merely the initial phase in starting a discussion to have additional measures to protect the American people safe."

The representative added, "The department are constantly looking at how we vet those entering the country, especially after the recent incident in the capital. This new proposal is consistent with the earlier Executive Order to thoroughly check those who are entering this country using the visa waiver system by enabling CBP to gather further data from foreign nationals using the ESTA program."