A proposed Trump administration policy intended to screen tourists and identify potential threats to national security may have the unintended consequence of keeping porn stars and other sex trade workers out of the United States, too.

If enacted, the proposal, which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted on the Federal Register on Dec. 10, 2025, would require travelers coming from 42 countries whose residents do not currently require visas to visit the U.S. as tourists—such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea—to share additional personal information to be approved for entry. 

Public comments on the proposal were due by Feb. 9, 2026. If adopted with no changes, the new regulations could go into effect this summer—just in time for the nation’s peak tourist months.

The new policy may uniquely impact sex workers and sex educators in an increasingly globalized business, experts and sex trade professionals told Rewire News Group. 

“Traveling is a big part of the business today, because you have to meet content creators, you should go, from time to time, to b2b events, and … you can meet a production company at an expo,” said Berlin-based adult performer Jason Steel.

Social media handles were first added to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application, which determines a person’s eligibility to travel to the US without a visa, in 2016 as an optional section. The new proposal would require all applicants to list all social media accounts they’ve used in the past five years. The application, which takes the place of a formal visa, can be completed as little as 72 hours before departure to the U.S. But the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends travelers fill it out as soon as travel plans are made. 

The policy does not require that visitors literally upload their social media content to the application. Still, by listing the names of their social media accounts, visitors grant CBP access to review their profiles and historic activity on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, BlueSky, and other major social........

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