US to require social media history for visa-waiver travelers

The U.S. government will soon require travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries to submit up to five years of their social media history, according to a proposal by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register on Wednesday.

This new requirement requires travelers to complete their Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application, including social media details from the past five years. ESTA is used to determine eligibility for visa-free travel to the United States for up to 90 days.

The proposal also asks applicants to provide additional data when possible, including phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, family names, and biometric information such as fingerprints and facial recognition.

The rule would affect travelers from numerous countries in the Visa Waiver Program, including most European nations, as well as Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and others. The proposal is open for public comments for 60 days.

This move is part of broader efforts by the United States to tighten immigration controls. The U.S. State Department reported this week that 85,000 visas have been revoked since January, more than double the number revoked in the previous year.

At least 200 miners were killed after several mine shafts collapsed at coltan sites in Rubaya of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a spokesperson for the March 23 Movement rebel group confirmed on Friday.

Most of the victims were artisanal miners who were buried, the spokesperson said, adding that children and women were also among the dead.

The collapses occurred on Wednesday and Thursday at different coltan mines in Rubaya, an area controlled by the rebels since April 2024.

Coltan, or columbite-tantalite, is the main source of tantalum, a rare metal used in the production of advanced electronic devices. The United Nations estimated that the Rubaya mines alone account for about 15 percent of the global tantalum supply.