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A newly proposed mandate for soccer tournament fans traveling to the US to hand over personal online account information has been called "profoundly unacceptable."

Mandatory Submission for Visa Waiver Applicants

According to the proposal, tourists from 42 countries—such as the UK—who use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) would be obliged to provide details about online accounts they have held in the last five-year period. Previously, providing this data was optional.

"The US government's proposed measures are profoundly unacceptable," stated Ronan Evain, head of Football Supporters Europe. "Free speech and the right of privacy are universal human rights. No supporter surrenders those rights just because they enter a country."

He added, "This policy introduces a climate of fear of surveillance that directly contradicts the welcoming, open spirit the World Cup is supposed to represent and it must be rescinded immediately."

Origins in an Earlier Presidential Directive

The plan stems from an presidential directive signed by Donald Trump in early 2025 that seeks "to ensure that all aliens wishing to enter the US are vetted and screened to the maximum degree feasible."

Official Statement and Justification

A spokesperson for the border agency provided clarification on the matter. "Nothing has changed on this subject for those coming to the country," the official stated. "It is not a implemented policy, it is simply the initial phase in initiating a process to have new policy options to protect the American people safe."

The spokesperson further noted, "We are constantly looking at how we screen those coming into the country, especially after the terrorist attack in Washington DC. This new proposal is in line with the earlier directive to vet those who are coming into this country using the visa waiver system by allowing CBP to gather additional information from non-US citizens applying through the visa waiver programme."