Will the US and EU get together on data-mining for airline security?
We touched briefly on this issue in an earlier post, but the story continues to develop. The United States has a substantial database it uses to pinpoint potential airline threats, and the EU has a similar database. Parties on both sides of the pond have been in talks about the possibility of sharing data, but there is growing concern that individuals’ privacy may suffer in such a deal.
Honestly, privacy rights advocates may not have to worry about the deal because both sides have been slowing down its development. However, in a conciliatory move, DHS chief privacy officer Hugo Teufel recently gave a speech in Paris during which he said that the US would take steps to increase “privacy protections with respect to the PNR data” (from Wired.com).
Previously, the DHS was playing hardball with the EU, especially in regards to how long it retained passenger data. A deal cut in in 2004 provided that the data would be kept for 3 1/2 years, so it’s only now being reconsidered. Still, Teufel’s statement seems like a significant concession aimed at respecting individual privacy, and a lot of people are saying that’s a good thing.
The data the US wants from the EU includes “34 facts about each passenger traveling from Europe,” but Teufel insisted that the data is not aimed at infringing on passengers’ rights.
“The U.S. does not ask about meal choices to identify potential Muslim travelers, he said, calling that ‘absolutely false.’ Asked if credit card data is collected, he said: ‘To my knowledge the department is not pushing for that.’” (from PCWorld.com).
The need to balance privacy and security is something we’ve written about before and that we’ll obviously revisit. While Teufel’s remarks don’t necessarily go as far as some privacy advocates would like, it does seem that DHS is interested in finding a balance that keeps passengers safe and protects their personal data.
Where do you stand on the issue? Leave us a comment and let us know.
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