🔗 Share this article

A newly proposed requirement for soccer tournament supporters journeying to the United States to hand over their online profile details has been branded "profoundly unacceptable."

Compulsory Submission for Visa Waiver Travelers

Under the plan, visitors from 42 countries—including the UK—who use the visa waiver program would be obliged to submit details about online accounts they have maintained in the last five-year period. Previously, submitting this information was optional.

"These announced plans are profoundly unacceptable," stated Ronan Evain, head of Football Supporters Europe. "Free speech and the right to privacy are universal human rights. No supporter surrenders those rights just because they cross a border."

He added, "This policy introduces a climate of fear of surveillance that directly contradicts the welcoming, open spirit the tournament is supposed to embody and it must be rescinded at once."

Roots in an Earlier Presidential Directive

The plan stems from an presidential directive issued by Donald Trump in January that aims "to guarantee that all aliens seeking admission the US are vetted and screened to the maximum degree feasible."

Official Response and Reasoning

A spokesperson for the border agency provided clarification on the issue. "This is not a change on this front for those coming to the United States," the spokesperson stated. "This is not a implemented policy, it is simply the initial phase in starting a discussion to have additional measures to keep the American people secure."

The spokesperson further noted, "We are continuously evaluating how we vet those coming into the country, particularly after the recent incident in Washington DC. This new proposal is consistent with the earlier Executive Order to vet those who are coming into this country using the visa waiver system by enabling CBP to collect additional information from foreign nationals applying through the visa waiver programme."