An American Customs and Border Protection official has said that the US might ‘scale back’ its proposed social media checks which caused outrage last year – however the head of the US Travel Association has urged for much stronger action.
Back in December, it was revealed that Australians, New Zealanders and citizens of 40 other visa-exempt nations might soon have to disclose up to five years of social media history before entering the United States under a new proposal from the Trump administration, however now it looks like the US government may be backpedalling.
At IPW in Florida last week, Matt Davies, a CBP executive, said they were reviewing the criticisms of the proposal published in the Federal Register in December, and are considering a more “targeted approach” to checking visitors’ social media. Rather than requiring everyone to provide five years of history to enter the US through the ESTA system, the CBP is considering only targeting applicants deemed as higher risk.
Speaking to the US Travel Weekly, US Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman said: “I do expect an amended proposal. I’m disappointed that we’re not just ripping it up. I’m disappointed with anything that will further discourage travel in an unnecessary fashion.”
Freeman argued there was limited evidence the checks would improve security.
“If there were a case to be made that this would fundamentally strengthen America’s security, then I would expect to hear security experts out there saying that, but I haven’t heard anybody say that,” he said.
Many of the changes are unlikely to be implemented until later this year, however the proposal has already been one of the factors damaging US tourism – just as the country prepares to host major events including the FIFA World Cup.
Research from the World Travel & Tourism Council has warned the proposed changes could reduce international travel demand, costing up to 157,000 jobs and US$15.7 billion (around AU$22.28 billion).
Signs of the downturn are already beginning to show: Recent data from the ABS shows Australians travelling to the US dropped by 5.5 per cent to March this year. Data released from ATIA last month suggested the trend is accelerating: outbound travel to the USA fell 4.8 per cent for the year to February 2026, with a sharper 9.7 per cent decline in February alone.
US Customs and Border Protection to attend IPW to address travel misconceptions
