What does the US proposal that foreign tourists disclose social media information mean for Australians?

If you're planning on heading to the US next year, you might want to check your social media history for any mean tweets about the US in the past five years.

The US is proposing that visa-exempt foreign tourists, including Australians, disclose information about their social media, email accounts, phone numbers and extensive family history to the Department of Homeland Security before being approved for travel.

So, what does that mean for Aussies hoping to travel to the US for a holiday, business, study or to watch a game in next year's men's Football World Cup?

What is the current process for Australians travelling to the US?

Australia is one of the 42 countries listed on the US visa waiver program, which means citizens are eligible to apply through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), if they are travelling to America for 90 days or less.

Unlike visa applicants, they generally do not have to go into a US embassy or consulate for an interview.

An ESTA application costs $US40 ($60) and asks a more limited set of questions such as parents' names and current email address.

Listing your social media user names for the past five years has been optional for ESTA applications since December 2016. Under the new proposal it would be mandatory.

Some Australians have already reported being denied entry to the US and being interrogated about their online activities.

US Customs and Border Protection said it has conducted 51,000 basic media searches and 4,000 advanced media searches of electronics at ports of entry in 2025, an increase of 15 per cent on 2024 and the majority of which (42,000) were of foreign nationals.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has updated its travel advice to the US on the smartraveller website several times already in 2025, to highlight strict entry requirements, changed regulations and potential volatile environment regarding demonstrations.

How did we get here?

The simple answer is Donald Trump's "extreme vetting" of visitors and potential immigrants to the US, which has been a work in progress since he announced a travel ban for seven predominantly Muslim countries early in 2017.

Throughout his first stint in the White House Mr Trump issued a series of executive orders relating to visas and immigration, many of which were challenged in court.

In 2019, the Trump administration brought in a measure requiring travellers from countries that are not part of the visa waiver program to provide the details of their social media accounts for the past five years, if they wanted to visit the US.

People from countries that didn't require a tourist visa to visit America, like Australia, the UK and New Zealand, were exempt.

The policy remained during Democratic president Joe Biden's administration.

In June, student visa applicants were directed by the US State Department to make their social media profiles public, for "comprehensive and thorough vetting".

The same rule will go into effect on December 15 for H-1B skilled worker visa applicants and their dependants.

Also in June, Mr Trump's updated travel ban came into effect, adding 12 more countries to the list.

Customs and Border Protection said it was complying with an executive order that Mr Trump signed in January that called for more screening of people coming to the US to prevent the entry of possible national security threats.

What information is going to be required?

As well as social media history for the past five years, the announcement said that US Customs and Border Protection would start requesting a list of other information, including telephone numbers the person has used over the past five years or email addresses used over the past decade. 

And they'll be asking for metadata from electronically submitted photos, as well as extensive information from the applicant's family members, including their places of birth and their telephone numbers.

The proposal also includes an option for non-US citizens to provide a selfie on departure from America, which US customs and border protection can use to track their location and make sure they really did leave the country. 

Who is likely to be targeted?

International law expert Professor Donald Rothwell from the Australian National University told the ABC that the people most at risk are those who are active on social media and who have expressed criticism of US policies.

Dr Rothwell, who said he stopped accepting invitations to speak in the US in June, is one of a growing number of academics choosing against travelling to the US.

Do other countries have similar conditions about social media?

It is not standard practice for western democracies to require access to social media history but travellers certainly need to be aware of local laws in many parts of the world, including the Middle East, parts of Asia and Russia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) advises Australians not to travel to Russia, saying Australia is regarded as an "unfriendly" nation.

On its smarttraveller website DFAT advises, if people are going to ignore advice and go to Russia, "to review visible information on sensitive issues on your public social media profiles".

The UK's travel advice regarding Russia says some British and dual British-Russian nationals have been asked to provide data from phones and other electronic devices and held for hours in Russia for identity and electronic device checks.

Under Russian law, people do not need to release electronic devices for checks unless presented with a search warrant but, if you refuse, you may face delays entering Russia due to continued questioning and pressure to cooperate, including threats of legal action. 

Many Middle Eastern countries have strict laws about what people can post on social media, particularly regarding criticism of governments, and what can be photographed.

China bans access to many social media platforms, but people have been arrested there for what they've posted.

DFAT advises that if people have made public comments on social media that may be construed as blasphemous, they should not travel to Pakistan.

Will the changes affect the number of people travelling to America?

Probably.

The number of Australians travelling to the US dropped substantially earlier this year, before rising again.

Asked at a White House event whether he was concerned the measure might affect tourism to the US Mr Trump said no.

"We want safety, we want security, we want to make sure we're not letting the wrong people come into our country," he said.

A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said the notice was "simply the first step in starting a discussion to have new policy options to keep the American people safe".

When are the changes going to come into effect?

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed changes, which were published on Wednesday, before they go into effect.

And it seems unlikely that Australia is going to push back against them, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying the US has "a right to set the rules" as a sovereign nation.

Similarly, a DFAT spokesperson said visa conditions are a matter for the country that issues them.

"Smartraveller advises Australians that US entry requirements are strict," the spokesperson said.

"Australians should check US entry, registration, transit and exit requirements, and ensure you understand all relevant terms and conditions before attempting to enter the United States."

ABC, AP