Japan Joins Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, And Brunei In Becoming Only Countries In Asia In Suffering As US Government Enforces Five-Year Social Media History Disclosure For Visa Waiver Program

Published on December 11, 2025

Japan joins Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, and Brunei in facing the challenge of the US government’s new five-year social media history disclosure requirement for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) applicants. This rule, which affects travelers from these countries, aims to enhance national security by scrutinizing the online activities of individuals applying for travel under the VWP. As a result, Japan and its fellow nations are now tasked with navigating this new layer of compliance, which has raised concerns about privacy and data protection across Asia.

In a significant shift to its visa waiver process, the United States government has proposed a new rule that mandates citizens of five Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Brunei, to disclose their social media history for the past five years when applying for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This move comes as part of the U.S.’s heightened security measures, designed to scrutinize travelers more closely before granting them the privilege of visa-free entry into the country.

This new requirement will affect travelers from the five countries participating in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). These nations have long enjoyed the benefits of easy access to the U.S. through ESTA, which allows visitors to stay for up to 90 days without a visa. However, starting in 2025, applicants from these countries will be required to provide extensive personal data, including their social media identifiers, phone numbers, and email addresses, going back several years. The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2025, marks a significant change in the way the U.S. handles visa-exempt travel.

The U.S. Visa Waiver Program: A Key Benefit for Asian Countries

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) has allowed citizens from 43 countries, including the five in question, to visit the U.S. without a visa for short stays. Japan has been a participant since 1988, South Korea since 2008, Singapore since 1999, Taiwan since 2012, and Brunei since 1993. The VWP has been a crucial part of promoting tourism, business, and cultural exchange between these countries and the U.S. Each year, millions of travelers from these nations use ESTA to visit the U.S. for business, tourism, or family visits, without the need for a visa application process.

However, with increasing global security concerns, the U.S. government is tightening its vetting process for travelers from VWP countries. The new rule is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that foreign nationals entering the U.S. pose no security threat. The social media disclosure requirement is just one of the many ways the U.S. is attempting to enhance its screening procedures.

What Travelers Will Be Required to Disclose

Under the new proposal, travelers applying for ESTA from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Brunei will be required to provide the following information:

1. Social Media Identifiers: Applicants must disclose their social media handles, usernames, or identifiers used in the past five years. This includes platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others.
2. Phone Numbers: The rule mandates that applicants provide phone numbers they have used in the past five years.
3. Emails: Applicants will need to submit email addresses they have used over the past decade. This additional data will help authorities cross-check information and look for potential security risks.
4. Family Information: Family details will also be required, which could include names and relationships of close family members, adding another layer of scrutiny.
5. Biometrics: As part of the enhanced vetting process, biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial recognition, will be collected through the ESTA mobile app.

Why the U.S. Is Implementing These Stricter Requirements

The main goal behind these changes is to enhance security by identifying potential threats before travelers enter the country. The social media disclosure is seen as a measure to better understand the traveler’s online persona, helping authorities detect any activities that may indicate extremist behavior, illegal activities, or ties to harmful organizations.

The U.S. government has stated that this new rule is part of the broader objective outlined in Executive Order 14161, which aims to improve the security screening of travelers entering the U.S. The executive order, signed earlier this year, emphasizes the need for a more thorough vetting process for nationals of countries that have long enjoyed visa-exempt status.

The rule is expected to add approximately 22 minutes to the ESTA application process, as travelers will need to disclose this sensitive data and wait for it to be reviewed. This change will also phase out the traditional ESTA website, with the process shifting entirely to a mobile app.

Affected Countries: A Breakdown of Participation and Data

Let’s break down the participation of each affected country and provide a detailed view of the new requirements:

The data table above highlights the volume of VWP admissions from each of the five countries. Japan remains the leader in terms of visitor numbers, with over 3.6 million admissions in 2019. South Korea, with 2.1 million visitors, also plays a significant role in the program. Singapore, Taiwan, and Brunei have smaller but steadily increasing numbers of travelers using ESTA to visit the U.S.

Impact on Travel and Tourism

While the new social media disclosure rule is aimed at improving security, it is expected to have some unintended consequences, particularly in the tourism and business sectors. For countries like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, which send large numbers of visitors to the U.S. each year, the added scrutiny may deter some travelers from applying for ESTA. The fear of having to disclose personal data, especially social media history, could lead some to reconsider their travel plans, particularly those who value privacy or those unfamiliar with the U.S.’s heightened security measures.

Tourism officials in the affected countries have expressed concerns that this could dampen interest in U.S. travel, especially for short-term visits. While the U.S. is a major destination for international tourists, the added bureaucracy may make the process more cumbersome for some, potentially affecting the overall tourism flow.

What Travelers Need to Know

Travelers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Brunei should be aware of the following:

• Social Media Disclosure: Be prepared to provide a full list of your social media handles and identifiers from the past five years. This includes platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Increased Application Time: The ESTA application process will take longer, with an estimated additional 22 minutes for review and data entry.
• Data Privacy Concerns: Some travelers may feel uncomfortable with the idea of sharing personal information, including family details and social media history. Travelers should ensure they understand the privacy implications of providing this data.
• Potential Delays: Travelers should apply for ESTA well in advance of their planned trips to account for any potential delays in processing.

What This Means for Other Countries

As of 2025, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Brunei are the only Asian countries affected by this change. Other Asian countries, such as China, India, and Malaysia, are not part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and thus are not subject to these specific requirements. However, the tightening of the ESTA process could lead to broader changes in the future, especially if other countries are added to the VWP in the coming years.

The proposal marks a significant shift in U.S. immigration and border security policy, reflecting the growing emphasis on digital surveillance and online activity as part of national security measures.

The U.S. government’s proposal to mandate social media disclosure for travelers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Brunei under the Visa Waiver Program represents a significant tightening of the rules for visa-exempt travel. While the intent is to bolster security, the move could have far-reaching implications for travel, tourism, and privacy concerns.

Japan joins Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, and Brunei in facing the US government’s new five-year social media history disclosure requirement for Visa Waiver Program applicants. This move is aimed at strengthening national security by examining the online activities of travelers from these countries.

As we move into 2025, travelers from these countries will need to navigate the new ESTA process with a heightened awareness of the data they are being asked to disclose. For many, this will mean a greater level of transparency than ever before, and for some, it may lead to reconsidering their travel plans to the United States. The shift represents a broader trend toward digital security measures that are likely to shape the future of international travel.