The new regulations, requiring travelers to disclose emails, phone numbers, and addresses used in the past five years, are set to be implemented early next year. This comes just before an anticipated influx of football fans traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup in June, which is being co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Irish Member of the European Parliament Barry Andrews from the Renew group criticized the plan to screen U.S. visitors based on their five-year social media history, calling it “outrageous.” He stated that even authoritarian regimes don’t have such policies and warned of potential harm to the U.S. tourism industry, deterring millions of Europeans, including football fans traveling for the World Cup.
The Trump administration has intensified social media checks at the border, scrutinizing profiles and denying entry or revoking visas over political content, leading to censorship and overreach accusations from rights groups.
Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, condemned the entry requirements as violating free speech and expression rights. She urged FIFA to pressure the Trump administration to reverse the policy, stating it contradicts FIFA’s human rights standards and could lead to the exclusion and harassment of fans and journalists with differing opinions.
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