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US plans to vet foreign tourists’ social media history

Dec 10, 2025, 5:25pm EST
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A traveler uses an American Airlines’ screen at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in Arlington, Virginia
Benoit Tessier/Reuters

The US government could require all foreign tourists to provide five years’ worth of their social media history to enter the country.

The White House has previously expanded screening of visa applicants’ online presence, citing national security concerns and a need to root out anti-American and antisemitic sentiment. The new proposal, NBC News reported, would even apply to countries whose citizens can enter the US visa-free. The crackdown could undermine US efforts to welcome soccer fans around the world for the FIFA men’s World Cup next year.

If Qatar “was probably the most politically charged sporting event in history… I’m not sure that 2026 will be any less politically charged,” a sports professor said.

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