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A recently unveiled mandate for World Cup fans journeying to the US to hand over personal online account information has been branded "profoundly unacceptable."

Compulsory Submission for Visa Waiver Travelers

According to the proposal, visitors from 42 countries—including the UK—who use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) would be obliged to provide information about online accounts they have maintained in the past five years. Until now, providing this information was optional.

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

He continued, "The measure creates a chilling atmosphere of monitoring that fundamentally opposes the inclusive atmosphere the World Cup is supposed to represent and it must be rescinded at once."

Roots in an Earlier Presidential Directive

The plan stems from an executive order issued by former President Trump in January that seeks "to ensure that all aliens seeking admission the US are vetted and screened to the maximum degree feasible."

Government Response and Reasoning

A spokesperson for the border agency provided clarification on the issue. "Nothing has changed on this front for those traveling to the country," the official stated. "This is not a implemented policy, it is simply the initial phase in initiating a process to have new policy options to protect the American people safe."

The representative further noted, "The department are constantly looking at how we screen those coming into the country, particularly after the terrorist incident in Washington DC. The measure is consistent with the earlier directive to vet those who are coming into this country using ESTA by allowing CBP to collect additional information from non-US citizens using the ESTA program."