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A recently unveiled mandate for soccer tournament supporters traveling to the US to hand over their social media account information has been branded "profoundly unacceptable."

Compulsory Submission for ESTA Applicants

Under the plan, visitors from dozens of nations—such as the UK—who use the visa waiver program would be required to provide details about social media accounts they have held in the past five years. Previously, providing this data was voluntary.

"These proposed measures are profoundly unacceptable," stated Ronan Evain, head of Football Supporters Europe. "Free speech and the right of privacy are universal human rights. No football fan surrenders those rights just because they enter a country."

He added, "This policy introduces a climate of fear of monitoring that directly contradicts the inclusive atmosphere the World Cup is supposed to embody and it must be rescinded immediately."

Origins in an Previous Executive Order

The proposal follows an executive order signed by former President Trump in early 2025 that aims "to ensure that all aliens wishing to enter the United States are vetted and screened to the fullest extent possible."

Official Response and Reasoning

A representative for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided context on the issue. "This is not a change on this subject for those coming to the United States," the official stated. "This is not a implemented policy, it is merely the first step in starting a discussion to have new policy options to protect the public secure."

The representative added, "The department are continuously evaluating how we screen those coming into the country, particularly after the terrorist incident in Washington DC. This new proposal is consistent with the January 2025 directive to vet those who are entering this country using ESTA by enabling CBP to gather additional information from non-US citizens applying through the visa waiver programme."