What information does customs collect from US citizens traveling internationally?
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Executive summary
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) already collects biographic data, travel records and increasingly biometrics from non‑U.S. travelers; recent 2025 notices propose adding mandatory social‑media identifiers covering up to five years, email addresses (past 10 years), phone numbers (past five years), family names/addresses and selfies for identity verification [1] [2] [3]. The proposals target Visa Waiver Program/ESTA applicants and are described in Federal Register notices and press coverage as revisions to I‑94/ESTA collection and biometric entry/exit rules; they are not yet final policy in every respect [4] [5] [6].
1. What CBP already collects: routine travel and biometric records
CBP’s baseline information collection includes arrival/departure records (Forms I‑94/I‑94W) and traveler biographic data used to track lawful access at ports of entry; a 2025 Federal Register rule implementing biometric collection makes facial photographs mandatory for many non‑U.S. nationals at entry and departure and establishes an expanded biometric entry‑exit regime effective Dec. 26, 2025 [1] [7]. CBP’s traveler statistics and operational descriptions confirm the Office of Field Operations manages this biographic/biometric intake at air, land and sea POEs [7] [1].
2. The 2025 proposals that would expand data collected from visitors
In December 2025 CBP published notices proposing revisions to the Arrival/Departure Record and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Those proposals would add “high‑value” data fields: social‑media identifiers for the prior five years, email addresses covering the prior 10 years, telephone numbers used in the prior five years, family names/addresses, and selfies/biometric images as part of identity verification — with an emphasis on Visa Waiver Program/ESTA applicants [5] [2] [8].
3. Who would be affected and how this differs from past practice
Coverage in the Federal Register and major outlets highlights that the new social‑media and extended contact‑history fields would be mandatory for travelers applying through ESTA from the 42 Visa Waiver Program countries, not necessarily for all foreign visitors — a narrower but still large population of short‑term visitors [3] [2]. CBP’s proposals mark a shift from occasional checks of digital material to codifying social‑media history and longer contact histories as formal data elements in the vetting process [6] [8].
4. Stated purpose: security, identity verification and fraud prevention
CBP and reporting cite national‑security and identity‑verification rationales: moving ESTA to a mobile app, collecting selfies to reduce document fraud, and using social‑media and digital footprints to vet whether travelers’ stated purposes align with publicly visible online behavior [9] [6] [5]. The agency frames the changes as consistent with executive directives from 2025 to broaden vetting [6].
5. Industry, privacy and tourism pushback
Travel and tourism groups and some reporters warn the expanded collections—especially mandatory social‑media checks and longer historical contact data—could deter visitors and slow adjudication [8]. A coalition of travel businesses publicly opposed related fee and vetting proposals, arguing economic consequences for tourism and major events [8]. News outlets also emphasized privacy and civil‑liberties concerns around scanning five years of online activity [3] [8].
6. What is final and what remains provisional
The Federal Register notices are formal proposals and rulemakings: some elements (like the biometric entry‑exit rule) have effective dates set in 2025, while the expanded ESTA/I‑94 information‑collection revisions were published for public comment and are not universally implemented as binding policy yet [1] [4] [5]. Reporting repeatedly notes “this is not a final rule” language for parts of the ESTA/social‑media proposal [6].
7. Gaps and limits in current public reporting
Available sources show what CBP proposes and what it has already implemented for many non‑U.S. nationals, but they do not detail how social‑media data would be accessed, retained, vetted algorithmically versus manually, or specific redress processes for affected travelers in practice — those operational details are not found in current reporting [5] [8]. Sources also do not provide definitive statistics on how many U.S. citizens’ outbound data are collected under these rules; existing coverage focuses on non‑U.S. nationals and Visa Waiver applicants [1] [2].
8. Bottom line for U.S. citizens traveling abroad
If you are a U.S. citizen leaving or returning, current sources emphasize expanded biometric photographing and CBP’s broader biometric entry‑exit aims for non‑U.S. travelers; the high‑profile social‑media and extended contact data proposals center on foreign visitors and ESTA applicants, though rulemaking and public‑comment periods could change scope [1] [5] [6]. Travelers concerned about privacy or processing delays should watch the Federal Register docket and CBP announcements for final rules and for guidance on how data will be collected, used and protected [4] [5].