🔗 Share this article

A recently unveiled mandate for soccer tournament supporters journeying to the United States to hand over personal online profile details has been called "profoundly unacceptable."

Mandatory Disclosure for Visa Waiver Travelers

According to the proposal, tourists from 42 countries—including the UK—who use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) would be required to submit details about online accounts they have held in the past five years. Previously, submitting this data was voluntary.

"These announced plans are deeply concerning," stated Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe. "Free speech and the right to privacy are universal human rights. No football fan gives up those rights just because they enter a country."

He added, "The measure introduces a climate of fear of surveillance that fundamentally opposes the inclusive atmosphere the World Cup is supposed to embody and it must be rescinded immediately."

Origins in an Earlier Executive Order

The plan stems from an presidential directive issued by former President Trump in January that seeks "to ensure that all foreign nationals seeking admission the United States are thoroughly checked to the maximum degree feasible."

Official Response and Justification

A representative for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) offered context on the matter. "Nothing has changed on this subject for those traveling to the United States," the spokesperson said. "This is not a final rule, it is merely the initial phase in initiating a process to have additional measures to keep the public secure."

The representative added, "The department are continuously evaluating how we vet those coming into the country, particularly after the recent incident in the capital. This new proposal is consistent with the January 2025 Executive Order to thoroughly check those who are entering this country using the visa waiver system by allowing CBP to gather further data from non-US citizens applying through the ESTA program."