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A newly proposed mandate for soccer tournament fans traveling to the United States to hand over personal social media profile details has been called "profoundly unacceptable."

Mandatory Disclosure for Visa Waiver Travelers

Under the plan, visitors from 42 countries—such as the UK—who use the visa waiver program would be obliged to provide details about online accounts they have maintained in the past five years. Previously, providing this information was voluntary.

"These proposed measures are profoundly unacceptable," stated Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe. "Free speech and the right of privacy are universal human rights. No supporter gives up those rights just because they enter a country."

He continued, "This policy creates a chilling atmosphere of monitoring that directly contradicts the inclusive atmosphere the tournament is supposed to embody and it must be withdrawn immediately."

Roots in an Previous Presidential Directive

The proposal stems from an presidential directive signed by Donald Trump in January that seeks "to guarantee that all foreign nationals seeking admission the United States are vetted and screened to the fullest extent possible."

Official Statement and Reasoning

A representative for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provided clarification on the issue. "This is not a change on this subject for those traveling to the United States," the spokesperson stated. "This is not a final rule, it is simply the initial phase in initiating a process to have additional measures to keep the public secure."

The spokesperson further noted, "We are continuously evaluating how we screen those entering the country, especially after the recent attack in Washington DC. The measure is consistent with the January 2025 Executive Order to vet those who are entering this country using the visa waiver system by allowing CBP to gather further data from non-US citizens using the ESTA program."