A new US government notice has outlined additional data requirements that could impact travellers from more than 40 countries. According to the notice, individuals who are part of America’s Visa Waiver
Program may soon need to provide their social media history, telephone numbers and email addresses used, and even biometrics like DNA and iris scans, to enter the United States.
The new notice by the US Customs and Border Protection, is now out for public review. As part of its screening process, the US will now collect social media history and other “high-value data fields” from travellers eligible to enter the country without a visa.
This change will apply to travellers from 42 countries who can enter the US for up to 90 days without a visa and are currently screened through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
This is the latest move in the Donald Trump-led administration’s measures to restrict immigration and comes days after a planned travel ban for nearly 30 countries after two National Guard members were shot dead in Washington.
According to an official document from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), foreign visitors participating in the visa-waiver program would be required to submit some details including, social media history from the last five years, telephone numbers used in the last five years, Email addresses used in the last ten years, IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos.
It also requires to submit, “family member names (parents, spouse, siblings, children), their telephone numbers used in the last five years, family member dates and places of birth, their residencies, Biometrics – face, fingerprint, DNA and iris, business telephone numbers and email addresses used in the last five years and ten years respectively.
The US Department of State states that America’s Visa Waiver Program applies to citizens of more than 40 countries, including, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and United Kingdom.
According to the notice, the public has 60 days to share their views on the proposed changes before they are implemented.
