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A newly proposed requirement for soccer tournament fans traveling to the US to hand over personal online profile details has been branded "deeply troubling."

Mandatory Submission for Visa Waiver Travelers

According to the proposal, visitors from 42 countries—such as the UK—who use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) would be required to submit information about online accounts they have maintained in the past five years. Until now, submitting this information was optional.

"These announced plans are deeply concerning," said Ronan Evain, head of Football Supporters Europe. "Freedom of expression and the right of privacy are universal human rights. No football fan surrenders those rights just because they cross a border."

He continued, "This policy introduces a climate of fear of surveillance that fundamentally opposes the welcoming, open spirit the tournament is meant to represent and it must be rescinded at once."

Origins in an Earlier Executive Order

The proposal follows an executive order signed by Donald Trump in early 2025 that seeks "to guarantee that all aliens seeking admission the US are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."

Government Statement and Reasoning

A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided clarification on the issue. "Nothing has changed on this subject for those traveling to the country," the official said. "This is not a implemented policy, it is simply the first step in initiating a process to have additional measures to protect the American people secure."

The representative added, "The department are constantly looking at how we screen those coming into the country, particularly after the terrorist attack in the capital. This new proposal is consistent with the earlier Executive Order to thoroughly check those who are entering this country using ESTA by allowing CBP to gather further data from non-US citizens applying through the visa waiver programme."