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A recently unveiled mandate for soccer tournament fans traveling to the United States to hand over their social media account information has been called "deeply troubling."

Mandatory Disclosure for Visa Waiver Travelers

Under the plan, tourists from dozens of nations—such as the UK—who use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) would be obliged to submit information about online accounts they have held in the last five-year period. Until now, providing this data was optional.

"These announced plans are profoundly unacceptable," stated Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe. "Free speech and the right of privacy are universal human rights. No football fan surrenders those rights just because they enter a country."

He added, "The measure creates a climate of fear of monitoring that fundamentally opposes the welcoming, open spirit the tournament is meant to embody and it must be withdrawn immediately."

Roots in an Previous Executive Order

The plan follows an executive order issued by former President Trump in January that seeks "to guarantee that all aliens wishing to enter the US are vetted and screened to the fullest extent feasible."

Official Statement and Reasoning

A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) offered context on the issue. "Nothing has changed on this subject for those traveling to the United States," the spokesperson said. "This is not a final rule, it is simply the first step in initiating a process to have new policy options to keep the American people secure."

The representative added, "We are continuously evaluating how we screen those coming into the country, especially after the recent attack in Washington DC. The measure is in line with the earlier directive to thoroughly check those who are entering this country using the visa waiver system by enabling CBP to gather additional information from foreign nationals using the visa waiver programme."