Tourists to US may soon need to submit five years of social media history: Here's why

Tourists heading to the US will soon be subjected to greater scrutiny under new proposed regulations by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, requiring tourists to provide their social media posts from the last five years for review before entry.

Besides social media data, travellers would also be required to submit email addresses, phone numbers, and personal information for family members, including names, addresses, and birth dates. The requirements also include a recent photograph, biometric data such as fingerprints, iris scans, and even DNA samples.

Such an extensive series of checks is believed to cause longer wait times and delays at US entry points. This has raised concerns among travellers about privacy and surveillance.

As governments are increasingly collecting personal information, social media users are turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) to protect their online privacy.

Privacy advocates voiced concerns over the CBP's proposal, arguing that it may infringe on civil liberties without effectively enhancing security. The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticised the plan, stating it's an invasion of free speech and the privacy of innocent travellers and their families.

Although the proposal is still under public consultation for 60 days, critics claim that it could be easily circumvented. Tourists might delete past social media posts or create secondary profiles to comply with the regulations.

The CBP’s aggressive proposal for checks on tourists' social media history has sparked significant debate regarding the balance between security and privacy for visitors to the US.