For millions of people planning a holiday or work trip to the United States, the journey could soon start long before they reach the airport. Under a new proposal from the Trump administration, visitors would be asked to hand over details of their social media use going back five years. That would turn what has been a routine border check into a review of a traveller's online life, with anyone reluctant to share facing the risk of being turned away.
In a proposal filed on Tuesday, 9 December, in the Federal Register, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) set out the new rules. The data check would be 'mandatory' for new entrants to the U.S., whether or not they are from countries that usually need visas to visit. That means travellers from countries such as Britain, France, Germany and South Korea could all face extra hurdles at the border.
