The obligation to share our social history of the last 5 years with the US authoritiesif the proposal under discussion is approved, it will significantly change the way we use theESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), i.e. the digital system through which citizens of visa-exempt countries apply for a travel permit for short stays in the United States.
The novelty, contained in a document filed by the US Department of Security, establishes that in addition to the personal data already required (such as passport number, date of birth and any criminal record), it will be necessary to provide further information, considered by the US authorities to be useful in terms of security. These include social identityi telephone numbers they email addresses used in the last five yearsin addition to the references of the closest family members. The proposal arises within a very broad regulatory process, which the US government has activated to strengthen entry controls to the “Stars and Stripes” country and update the management of travellers’ data.
It is worth clarifying that the request is not yet operational: is under public consultation and may be modified. The measure would concern all citizens of the countries adhering to the Visa Waiver Programthe program that allows entry without a traditional visa: these also include ItalyGermany, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Israel and New Zealand. On the contrary, L‘Europe does not foresee anything similargiven that US citizens can enter the Schengen Area without any prior authorization, as long as the stay is less than 90 days.
What would change for tourists in the United States with the ESTA
The proposal, published in the official register of US federal regulations, concerns those who use the ESTA as part of the visa exemption program, which today involves 42 countriesincluding much of theEurope (including theItaly), United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel And Qatar. This tool allows you to enter the United States for periods of less than 90 days without a traditional visa, and is completely digital. So far, in addition to the identifying data, thethe only section dedicated to social media is currently optional: has existed since 2016 but if not filled in does not have consequences in the evaluation of the application. The CBP website (Customs and Border Protection), in fact, even now specifies that «if the (ESTA) applicant does not answer the question (about the use of social media) or simply does not have a social media account, the ESTA application can still be submitted without this leading to a negative interpretation or inference». With the new approach, however, the scenario would change, and significantly: it would be mandatory to specify all social profiles used in the last 5 years.
In addition to social media, others would be added «high-value data elements», a technical expression used by CBP to indicate content considered particularly useful in verifying the identity and evaluating the reliability of a traveler. These also include telephone numbers, email addresses And biographical information about close family memberswith lots of names, dates and places of birth And contacts relating to last 5 years. These fields would be harmonized with other changes the Department of Homeland Security is applying to various government forms to standardize “baseline” data collection.
Another significant innovation concerns the progressive dismantling of the ESTA web platformwhich should be replaced by the mobile application as the only official channel for submitting applications. The website would remain available only to check the status of requests already sent, but would no longer allow you to do “application“, as they say in jargon. The CBP justifies this step with some technical reasons. Among these, we mention the images uploaded via the Web, often of insufficient quality for biometric checks, i.e. for checks based on unique physical characteristics such as the face. A specialized unit of the National Targeting Center highlighted thousands of passport photos and bio pages with too low definition, which in some cases were allegedly intentionally uploaded by users trying to bypass facial matching. The mobile app, on the other hand, allows you to acquire images in real time and verify the authenticity of the passport by reading the electronic chip using NFC technology, the same that allows our smartphones to interact with documents and short-range devices. This level of control is not possible through web uploads and, according to CBP, is now essential to reduce fraudulent practices.
The proposal also introduces a general obligation to take selfiesboth for those who fill out the ESTA directly and for those who rely on third parties, such as travel agencies or family members. This requirement would play a key role in ensuring that the declared identity actually corresponds to that of the person intending to travel. The selfie would be compared to the photo extracted from the passport chip and other images stored in federal systems, via the Traveler Verification Servicea system that uses facial recognition to verify the identity of travelers at entry and exit points (airports, ports, etc.). The declared objective is to make the identity verification process more uniform, avoiding inconsistencies between requests sent via the site and those sent via the app.
What those who intend to leave the United States should do
Alongside the changes affecting entry, CBP is also carrying out a project dedicated to phase of exit from the United States. This is a voluntary system that would allow travelers subject to the requirements of Form I-94 Of register your departure through the CBP mobile app. In practical terms, the traveler who has stayed in the USA could be put in a position to report his exit from the country by scanning your passportiby sending a selfie And authorizing geolocation to certify that you are outside US territory. Liveness detection software (a technology that distinguishes a real face from a static image) would help prevent abuse. The report then flows into the official arrivals and departures system, creating a biometric confirmation useful both to the authorities and to the travelers themselvesespecially in cases where it may be necessary to demonstrate that you have respected the terms of your stay.
Overall, if the rules are confirmed, both entry and exit from the US will become more complex than it already is.
