Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

EU Agrees to Give Passenger Data to U.S.

Posted by michael on from the knuckling-under dept.

de la mettrie writes "The EU Commission has agreed in principle to make airlines provide U.S. Homeland Security with detailed passenger data for flights to the USA. Things Uncle Sam would like to know about passengers include their itinerary, their credit card number and whether or not they asked for a meal without pork. The data are supposed to help prevent terror attacks and are to be 'handled appropriately'." The U.S. is collecting the data for a massive passenger database, intended to increase passenger profiling.

5 of 525 comments (clear)

  1. Reasonable expectations? by EatHam · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There's a concept of personal privacy called a reasonable expectation of privacy. For instance, you don't have a reasonable expectation of privacy if you are in public, but you do if you are in your own home. I would say that putting your meal preference in Expedia precludes any reasonable expectation of privacy.

  2. There is NO MENTION of pork... by cnelzie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...in the article. Adding that to the "teaser" about the article paints the request in a discriminatory fashion. From what I read it is asking for information about ALL passengers on Trans-Atlantic flights.

    Sure, this can be seen as an invasion of privacy. While this is terrible and unfortunate, the fact of the matter is there currently exists some very terrible, murderous people in this world that are willing to do things that have never really been done before, in order to accomplish their task of murder.

    I dislike the facts of this modern reality just as much as the next person. Unfortunately, there isn't much that the US Government can do to protect its citizens (which is a big component of government) and preserve the way life has been.

    There simply is no other way to rectify this issue. Even if the US pulled out of the Middle East and swore off the oil habit and simply ceased dealing with that part of the world. The minds behind these murderous fundamentalists would not change. They would still plan their assaults and still carry out what they are able to carry out.

    Living in this day and age is simple one of those most frustrating of times to live in.

    --
    If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
  3. Re:riight by JonK · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Also watch out for: reading complicated literature, showing concern for their fellow man and liking to share...

    --
    Cheers

    Jon
  4. Re:Idiotic by droleary · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There have been a number of cases since 9-11 where would-be hijackings etc. have been stopped by the PASSENGERS. The equation is changed.

    This is so true it isn't even funny. I have said to friends that the people who should really be pissed at the terrorists should be the other political groups that hijacked. Why 9/11 worked is because everyone expected a standard hijacking, were you'd be redirected and delayed for negotiations but had a high probability of survival. Now? Well, fuck, the assumption is that you're dead if you don't act. The whole "stay calm and everyone will be OK" line just won't work anymore.

  5. Re:riight by jrumney · · Score: 5, Insightful
    As long as the 'eye' is focused on foreigners...NON-US Citizens...I have no problem

    This seems to be official US policy these days. And they wonder why the rest of the world hates them.