The United States is preparing to impose sweeping new screening requirements on millions of foreign visitors, including mandatory disclosure of all social media accounts used within the last five years. The proposal—quietly published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the December 10, 2025 Federal Register—would apply to citizens from all 42 Visa Waiver Program countries who currently enter the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa.
If adopted, the rules mark one of the most expansive data-collection expansions in the program’s history.
Background: What CBP Is Proposing
The Federal Register notice outlines major revisions to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Among the most consequential changes:
- Mandatory disclosure of all social media identifiers used over the past five years
(previously optional since 2016) - Collection of all phone numbers used within five years
- Collection of all email addresses used within ten years
- More detailed family information
- A required live selfie/photo for digital ID verification
- A transition to an app-only ESTA system, meaning travelers must use a mobile device to submit biometric and identity information
The proposal is currently in a 60-day public comment period, as required by federal law.
Deep Dive: Why This Matters and What the Evidence Shows
This change would affect travelers from the UK, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and dozens of other trusted allies. While CBP argues the expanded data helps verify identity, detect fraud, and flag security risks, privacy advocates warn it broadens government surveillance far beyond historical norms.
According to CBP documentation included in the Federal Register posting, U.S. authorities have been steadily expanding digital-identity screening tools since 2020, integrating social media analytics, AI-driven risk scoring, and cross-border intelligence sharing through existing Five Eyes frameworks.
These proposed requirements, CBP says, are intended to “enhance security vetting precision.”
Critically, the data would not simply verify identity—it would be stored, analyzed, and potentially shared with partner agencies. For conservative analysts wary of government overreach, the concern is not the border screening itself but the precedent: the normalization of mass collection of digital history, including speech, association, and political expression.
A Prophetic Lens: The Rise of Global Monitoring Systems
Scripture warns of a future world system where identity, commerce, and movement become increasingly controlled and verified. Revelation speaks of a time when “no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark” (Revelation 13:17, NASB 1977).
While the proposed ESTA changes are not that system, many see them as early technological building blocks—conditioning the public to accept biometric tracking, digital identity requirements, and cross-border data integration.
Daniel prophesied that in the final age “knowledge will increase” (Daniel 12:4, NASB 1977), a phrase many scholars interpret as an explosion in surveillance capabilities, information systems, and global connectivity.
The expansion of social media vetting, biometric screening, and international data-sharing reflects a world rapidly aligning with this prophetic trajectory.
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Strategic Implications: Identity, Security, and Power
If implemented, the new rules will:
- Create one of the largest foreign-visitor biometric archives ever assembled
- Increase intelligence-sharing with allied nations
- Shift border enforcement deeper into the digital realm
- Normalize social-media-based behavior scoring for travel eligibility
- Pressure foreign governments to adopt similar systems
This proposal could also strain relations with allied nations that may view the requirements as excessive, particularly in Europe—where social media is legally considered protected personal data.
For the United States, however, the change reflects a broader shift: restoring strict border control, prioritizing national security, and using technology to prevent identity fraud and terrorism.
Conclusion
The CBP’s proposed overhaul of the ESTA program represents a significant tightening of America’s border-screening architecture—one that could reshape global travel norms and redefine digital privacy expectations for millions of foreign visitors. Whether viewed as necessary security modernization or a step toward broader surveillance capability, the policy marks a profound shift in how nations regulate travel in the digital age. As prophetic watchers know, the world is rapidly moving toward greater centralization, greater monitoring, and greater reliance on systems that track not just where people go, but who they are.
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