EU and US Reach Deal On Airline Data 132
gambit3 writes "According to the BBC, the EU and the US have struck a new deal for sharing airline passenger data. It will replace a deal struck down by the European Court of Justice in May, which allowed the US its own access to passenger data. Under the deal, the EU will 'push' the data — 34 pieces of information per passenger — to the US, replacing the current 'pull' system. The new deal will expire at the end of July 2007."
What are the 34 data items? (Score:2, Interesting)
Does this violate the EU's data protection law? (Score:3, Interesting)
Once the data leaves the hands of the EU, it is beyond the control of the EU. DHS can (and will, I'm sure) give it to anyone they want to. I have little reason to believe that won't include corporations that are willing to pay off the right people.
So, really, how is this any better than what the U.S. was demanding to begin with, other than the fact that the EU gets to decide ahead of time whose data gets sent to the U.S.? For ordinary people, it seems to me that this is no different. Only people with "special" standing within the EU (i.e., those who have special connections to the people who decide what data goes out) will be protected.
The actions of all governments with respect to the rights, liberties, and protections of the people have become so predictable that it's depressing. :-(
Re:Frankly (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm personally boycotting any travel to the US for this and a myriad of other reasons. Apart from all the risks to my own personal liberty and freedom if I do happen to go there, there's the added fact that it's faster to fly to Europe than to the US (from Canada).
When you add the four hours spent getting through security to the four hour flight, that pretty much equals the 1h security + 7h flight to Europe. And, you get to spend more of that time sitting down, rather than standing in line on a hard concrete floor.
What about US citizens? (Score:4, Interesting)
Huge difference in privacy rights (Score:2, Interesting)
Europe and US has a huge difference in privacy rights. In Europe the individual owns his own data. In the US the entity (read corporation) owns whatever they can collect (And sell).
In Norway, for example, if you are unhappy with your credit rating, you just call them and tell them that they have to erase all data they have on you. (This will of course not result in a good score of course). Companies can not keep any information other than what is needed to complete a customer transaction. They can not sell it. The information belongs to you. A patchwork of laws are added to create "holes" in this "firewall" of privacy. Like credit reporting agencies
In the US, Corporations owns whatever they can get, and can sell it as they like. There is no "Privacy firewall" A patchwork of laws is applied in an attempt to plug the glaring errors in this system.
Re:What are the 34 data items? (Score:2, Interesting)
- Name
- Passport no. and nationality
- Creditcard no.
- DOB and POB
- Food preference
- Religion
- Seat (preference)
I wonder how this is going to work though, I've never had an airliner ask me for my religion and if they would, they could file me with all the other Pastafarians on the flight. Good luck profiling that.