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A newly proposed mandate for soccer tournament supporters traveling to the US to hand over personal social media account information has been called "profoundly unacceptable."

Compulsory Disclosure for ESTA 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 details about online accounts they have held in the past five years. Previously, submitting this data was optional.

"These announced plans are profoundly unacceptable," said Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe. "Free speech and the right of privacy are fundamental rights. No supporter gives up those rights just because they enter a country."

He continued, "This policy creates a chilling atmosphere of monitoring that fundamentally opposes the inclusive atmosphere the tournament is meant to embody and it must be rescinded immediately."

Origins in an Previous Presidential Directive

The plan follows an presidential directive signed by former President Trump in early 2025 that seeks "to ensure that all aliens seeking admission the United States are thoroughly checked 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 official stated. "It is not a final rule, it is simply the initial phase in initiating a process to have additional measures to protect the American people safe."

The representative further noted, "We are constantly looking at how we vet those entering the country, especially after the recent incident in Washington DC. The measure is consistent with the earlier Executive Order to vet those who are coming into this country using the visa waiver system by allowing CBP to gather further data from foreign nationals applying through the ESTA program."