All tourists - including those from Britain - will have to undergo a social media screening to enter the United States.
Under new plans being considered by the country’s border force, Donald Trump’s administration is set to require foreign tourists to hand over the past five years of their online history.
The drastic move is the latest attempt by Trump to scrutinize foreign visitors after an immigration freeze from 19 countries was announced last week.
At the moment, Britons are among those who can visit for up to 90 days without a visa.
They just have to obtain an electronic travel authorisation, known as an ESTA, for $40 (£30).
With the World Cup and Olympics headed to the United States in 2026 and 2028, respectively, there will be hundreds of thousands of travellers entering America.
The potential social media mandate being proposed by Customs and Border Protection would apply to anyone visiting, whether they require a visa or not.
According to a notice published in America’s federal register on Tuesday, foreign tourists would need to provide their social media from the last five years.
It will be “mandatory” to hand over the information, and other details - including email addresses and telephone numbers used in the last five years, as well as the names, addresses, numbers, and birthdays of family members.
Currently, as part of the ESTA application process, a tourist from Britain would have to provide an email address, home address, phone number, and emergency contact details. If approved, the ESTA lasts for two years.
CBP is proposing that moving forward, ESTA applications would require a selfie.
It further wants to collect biometrics - face, fingerprints DNA and iris - as part of the ESTA application. It currently only records face and fingerprints upon arrival at the US border.
The proposed changes are open for public consultation for 60 days.
The policy changes follow others recently implemented since the start of the Trump administration including social media vetting and the most recent addition of assessing applicants seeking naturalization for “good moral character”.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services said officers will now consider whether an applicant for benefits, such as residency, work and visa applications, “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused” anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views.
USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said in a statement the right to live and work in the United States remains “a privilege, not a right”, adding: “If you hate America, don’t try to live in America. It’s that simple.”
It isn’t specified what constitutes anti-Americanism but there have been several reports of travellers already having been denied entry into the US over social media posts and messages found on their personal devices since Trump took office in January.
A French scientist was turned away at the US border in March after messages “that reflect hatred toward Trump and can be described as terrorism” were found on his phone.
