🔗 Share this article

A recently unveiled requirement for soccer tournament supporters traveling to the US to disclose personal online account information has been called "deeply troubling."

Compulsory Disclosure for ESTA Applicants

According to the proposal, tourists from 42 countries—such as the UK—who use the visa waiver program would be required to submit information about online accounts they have maintained in the past five years. Previously, submitting this data was optional.

"The US government's announced plans are deeply concerning," said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe. "Freedom of expression and the right to privacy are fundamental rights. No supporter surrenders those rights just because they cross a border."

He continued, "This policy creates a climate of fear of surveillance that fundamentally opposes the inclusive atmosphere the World Cup is meant to represent and it must be withdrawn at once."

Origins in an Previous Presidential Directive

The proposal follows an executive order issued by Donald Trump in early 2025 that aims "to ensure that all foreign nationals seeking admission the United States are vetted and screened to the fullest extent feasible."

Government Response and Reasoning

A representative for the border agency offered clarification on the matter. "Nothing has changed on this subject for those coming to the country," the spokesperson stated. "It is not a implemented policy, it is merely the initial phase in starting a discussion to have new policy options to protect the public safe."

The representative further noted, "We are constantly looking at how we screen those coming into the country, especially after the terrorist incident in Washington DC. The measure is in line with the earlier Executive Order to vet those who are coming into this country using the visa waiver system by enabling CBP to collect additional information from foreign nationals using the visa waiver programme."