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A newly proposed requirement for World Cup fans traveling to the United States to disclose their social media profile details has been branded "deeply troubling."

Mandatory Submission for Visa Waiver Travelers

Under the plan, visitors from 42 countries—including the UK—who use the visa waiver program would be obliged to submit information about online accounts they have maintained in the last five-year period. Until now, submitting this data was optional.

"These proposed measures are profoundly unacceptable," stated Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe. "Freedom of expression and the right of privacy are universal human rights. No supporter surrenders those rights just because they cross a border."

He continued, "This policy introduces a climate of fear of monitoring that directly contradicts the welcoming, open spirit the tournament is supposed to represent and it must be rescinded at once."

Origins in an Previous Executive Order

The proposal stems from an presidential directive issued by former President Trump in January that seeks "to guarantee that all foreign nationals wishing to enter the United States are vetted and screened to the fullest extent possible."

Government Statement and Reasoning

A representative for the border agency provided context on the matter. "Nothing has changed on this subject for those coming to the country," the official stated. "This is not a implemented policy, it is merely the first step in initiating a process to have additional measures to protect the American people secure."

The spokesperson added, "The department are constantly looking at how we vet those entering the country, especially after the recent attack in the capital. This new proposal is in line with the January 2025 directive to thoroughly check those who are coming into this country using the visa waiver system by enabling CBP to gather further data from foreign nationals applying through the visa waiver programme."