Study: 61% of Americans Oppose Social Media Checks for Immigration

In a sweeping change of process for visitors into the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently proposed a new digital disclosure requirement that would mandate visitors to hand over five years of social media history upon entering the country.

While the policy isn’t exactly a “new” idea, as it relates to reviewing social media histories at the border, it does create a renewed interest in our own digital footprints, social media retention, and understanding the limits of what a government can and should require for visitors.

So how comfortable are Americans with the government handling their social meda data, and how many are in favor of social media monitoring for immigrants into the U.S.? We surveyed 1,000 Americans to find out.

Majority of Americans oppose social media monitoring for immigration eligibility

The idea of social media monitoring surfaced more prevalently in early 2025 as part of campaign promises related to immigration during the presidential election. In response, we asked 1,000 U.S. adults what they thought of CBP agents using social media monitoring to determine immigration and visa eligibility.

Overall, 61% (more than 6 in 10) Americans oppose governmental monitoring of social media accounts to determine eligibility for things like green cards, visas, and immigration benefits.

Though monitoring has been available to CBP agents for immigration purposes, this is the first time that a policy requiring mandatory disclosure of social media profiles is being considered surrounding “Visa Waiver Program” countries, a group of countries that allow U.S. entry without a visa for up to 90 days. Visa Waiver Program countries include the UK, Australia, and about 40 other (mostly-European) countries.

Understanding more about social media requirement for immigration

The proposed policy, targeted at visitors from “visa-free” countries — countries that don’t require a visa for a 90-day U.S. stay, mandates 5 years of social media history for anyone entering from one of these countries, as well as “high-value data fields” for these individuals, including:

• Telephone numbers used in the last 5 years;
• Email addresses used in the last 10 years;
• IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos;
• Family member names, telephone numbers, and dates of birth;
• Business data, and;
• Biometric data, including face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris images.

While some of these requirements are in place for some countries’ visitors, these proposed changes would apply to “Visa Waiver Program” countries: those that allow 90-day entry without a visa. This includes more than 40 countries, including:

• Andorra
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brunei
• Chile
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• San Marino
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom

This proposal has not become policy yet. It’s currently under a 60-day commentary period, as it’s being considered.

Bottom line

While regulations related to social meda may be in flux, taking care of your own digital footprint and maintaining safe and secure web browsing should always be top of mind. Here’s how you can start:

• Find the best data removal tools. See which data removal services stand out for automating opt-outs, offering strong privacy features, and helping you wipe your data from the web.
• Learn how to keep yourself and your data hidden online. There are steps you can take to stay anonymous online, and learning the best practices for achieving online anonymity can go a long way in keeping your personal data secure.
• Use a VPN to cover your digital tracks: The best VPNs help make your online activity private from your internet service provider and even the government.