Visitors to the US who don't need visas will have to register personal information online before traveling this summer, reports ABC News. The information will be used for background checks and scrutiny of travel plans. European officials have threatened to introduce similar rules in retaliation. The new regulations would apply to travelers from 27 countries operating under the visa waiver program.
"History has shown that it is naïve to assume a traveler from such a country automatically constitutes a lesser threat than a visa applicant who has undergone greater scrutiny prior to travel," said a US official. (More visas stories.)