EU Wants Air Passenger Data Collected

An anonymous reader sends news of the EU following in the footsteps of the US in that they are contemplating requiring all 27 member states to collect data on airline passengers and to retain it for up to 13 years. No centralized database would be created; instead states would be encouraged to store and to share their own data as needed. All states would have to pass enabling laws before the measure could come into effect. The rules would not apply to flights entirely within the EU. The proposal is part of an anti-terrorism package that also includes tighter laws to control hate speech and bomb-making instructions.

Comments

Re:Hate speech and bomb-making instructions?

[PjotrP]

The hate speech thing always is an easy way to put europeans in their place. Then again it usually only works when you don't go into the details about just how free speech works in practice. In practice for example it might be that the freedom of the press somehow is in a much better shape in europe than in the united states.

The US might not have a law to limit free speech, but in reality it seems the free speech of journalists is more limited than in europe. If you use a law to limit it, or just use patriot acts, or even lawless operations by government agencies, doesnt matter much. How you limit free speech is irrelevant, but don't think there is no limiting going on in the US.

See the index of the Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders for example:

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=24025/

Re:Damnit!

[krlynch]

Last time i was in NY (pre 2001, though), it was "US citizens and greencard holders first, europeans last".

Watch where you're throwing those stones, buddy :-)

I travel to Europe regularly on business. At EVERY European airport I've been too, there's an "EU passport holders" line (and Switzerland, usually) and an "everyone else" line.