US to begin screening social media of foreign tourists from 42 visa waiver countries

Published December 10, 2025 11:47am ET



The Trump administration plans to begin requiring tourists from more than 40 countries to hand over their phones and social media history to U.S. customs officers for screening before being admitted into the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security agency U.S. Customs and Border Protection filed a notice in the Federal Register on Tuesday that it will consider the speech of citizens from Visa Waiver Program countries, primarily European nations, when deciding whether to allow tourists into the U.S.

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