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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Simon Calder

DNA, social media and family history: What US authorities could demand you hand over at the border

Passport? Tickets? Social media history? The US authorities have issued proposals to demand access to five years of your activity on Instagram, Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms before an Esta permit to enter America is issued.

Whether you are a football fan off to the 2026 World Cup, a family heading for Florida or a business traveller to New York or Chicago, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wants to examine details of your social media activity going back five years.

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