Donald Trump is doing a better job of destroying the United States than Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea combined. He’s cratered the economy, alienated international allies, brutalized its citizens, and is busy shredding the Constitution. However, a lesser, though still significant, impact is his ongoing demolition of the tourism industry.
International visitors vacationing in the United States bring in hundreds of billions of dollars to the economy each year. But with the advent of Trump 2.0, their numbers are dwindling. And, frankly, who can blame them?
Now, in a disturbingly authoritarian twist, new plans unveiled by Customs and Border Protection mean anyone entering the United States will face an invasive check on what they’ve posted on social media. The notice, quietly published yesterday, confirms that all tourists will need to provide border authorities with their social media activity “from the last five years”.
But it doesn’t stop there. Tourists will also have to hand over to authorities all email addresses and telephone numbers they’ve used in the last five years, together with the names, addresses, and birthdays of their family members. In addition, they will require a facial scan, fingerprints, provide a DNA sample, and a photograph of the iris.
“I’m afraid that meme is prohibited”
Wow — even China doesn't do this.
— Bethany 貝書穎 (@BethanyAllenEbr) December 10, 2025
U.S. plans to scrutinize foreign tourists' social media history pic.twitter.com/0SA3Oj8hcG
If you’re simply coming through Orlando International to visit Disney World, that’s a lot to ask. The notice doesn’t specify what social activity the CBP is monitoring, though it’s almost certain they’ll be looking for anti-Trump sentiments, which they will deem “anti-American”.
Multiple travelers have already been denied entry to the United States for posting comments critical of the Trump administration, with a French scientist turned away at the border after posts deemed to “reflect hatred toward Trump” were discovered on his phone.
Many others have reported border guards snooping through their phones, to the point where travelers are routinely advised to only bring a burner phone to the United States and leave their usual devices at home. All of which makes the signs welcoming tourists to “the land of the free” deeply ironic.
This policy means financial misery for tourism hotspots like California, Florida, and New York, as many tourist-focused destinations and businesses simply can’t sustain themselves on domestic visitors alone. But the message is clear: if you don’t like Trump, stay out of the USA!
