Starting February 2026, the UK will enforce Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirements for citizens of 85 additional countries, including the USA and many European nations. This means tourists from these regions must obtain an ETA, even for short stays, to enter the UK. The government mandates application via its official app, available only through Google Play Store or Apple Store, raising significant digital sovereignty concerns. Citizens of these countries now face a new hurdle: needing a smartphone and a US-based app account to fulfill a government mandate, even if they lack one.