Ned
10-08-2006, 12:21 PM
I don't know how anyone else feels about this deal, but to me it feels like hogwash! I don't see any "real" difference between what the US wanted in the first place, and what they got. The US government is still getting the 34 pieces of data it had sought on every passenger, and getting it within 15 minutes of takeoff.
That data includes the credit card information for the card used to purchase the ticket. They're also going to get every passenger's dietary preference, if any, among the data. I understand why they want the credit card data, but the passenger's dietary preference? Knowing what kind of food passengers are going to eat on the plane is going to stop terrorism? Give me a break!
On the more important issue, how is push technology (the sender decides what to send and sends it) going to actually make the passenger information more private and safer than pull technology (the receiver goes into the database and retrieves the data)? I ask that knowing the "push" method will prevent the US government from looking beyond the 34 pieces of data in the airline's computer. I ask that, because when it comes down to it, not only is the US government (Homeland Security) going to get all the passenger data they've requested, they're still going to be able to disseminate it to all the other agencies to whom they wish to send it. Homeland security will then push it to those agencies, not allow those agencies to pull it.
The crux of this problem is that once the "other" agencies have it, the information has then been so widely disseminated that control of that information, preventing privacy intrusion, becomes close to impossible. Furthermore, the agreement doesn't cover those agencies to prevent any other entities from pulling data from the information. So, when it comes down to it, the new agreement between the US and the EU does nothing to actually protect the data and passenger privacy in the long run, the most crucial issue.
Finland's Justice Minister Leena Luhtanen said, This new agreement will provide a possibility of giving passenger data to the US authorities while guaranteeing sufficient data protection." It's amazing how far from the truth Justice Minister Luhtanen's statement is.
Originally posted by BBC News
Passenger data deal for US and EU
The US and the European Union have struck a new deal for sharing airline passenger data, after lengthy talks.
The interim agreement 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 US has sought information about air travellers since the 9/11 attacks.
EU officials described the deal, which came after nine hours of negotiations by video conference, as a "very important result" for the EU.
The previous deal lapsed on 1 October when both sides failed to agree on terms for a renewal. The new accord will expire at the end of July 2007.
Negotiations over a permanent deal will begin during an EU diplomatic visit to Washington in November.
Justice ministers from across the EU are scheduled to meet later on Friday to discuss the deal, which could be formally approved next week.
New safeguards
EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said new mechanisms had been agreed to distribute data from airlines to the US.
This new agreement will provide a possibility of giving passenger data to the US authorities while guaranteeing sufficient data protection
US officials will no longer be able to "pull" the information - which includes details on credit cards, passports, telephone numbers and even meal preferences - direct from airline computer systems, but will have it "pushed" to them.
The information will be sent to the US Department of Homeland Security, which will "facilitate" any wider distribution among other US counter-terrorism agencies, Mr Frattini said.
Civil liberties campaigners had argued that the amount of information collected is intrusive and that data protection once the details are in the US is weak, the BBC's Jonny Dymond reports.
It was the data protection issue that led to difficulties between the US and the EU.
The US wanted the information made available automatically to a number of different domestic agencies, but the EU wanted to be sure that if the information did move between agencies then it would remain secure, our correspondent says.
Addressing these concerns, Mr Frattini said the new deal allowed easier distribution of data, but would not allow "unconditional direct electronic access" by agencies such as the FBI...
Fines concern
...Carriers who fail to provide information are liable for fines of up to $6,000 (£4,030) per passenger or withdrawal of landing rights.
Announcing the deal at a news conference in Luxembourg, Finland's Justice Minister Leena Luhtanen, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said the new agreement was the best solution for all sides.
"This new agreement will provide a possibility of giving passenger data to the US authorities while guaranteeing sufficient data protection," she said. Go to Passenger data deal for US and EU (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5412092.stm) to read the entire article.
That data includes the credit card information for the card used to purchase the ticket. They're also going to get every passenger's dietary preference, if any, among the data. I understand why they want the credit card data, but the passenger's dietary preference? Knowing what kind of food passengers are going to eat on the plane is going to stop terrorism? Give me a break!
On the more important issue, how is push technology (the sender decides what to send and sends it) going to actually make the passenger information more private and safer than pull technology (the receiver goes into the database and retrieves the data)? I ask that knowing the "push" method will prevent the US government from looking beyond the 34 pieces of data in the airline's computer. I ask that, because when it comes down to it, not only is the US government (Homeland Security) going to get all the passenger data they've requested, they're still going to be able to disseminate it to all the other agencies to whom they wish to send it. Homeland security will then push it to those agencies, not allow those agencies to pull it.
The crux of this problem is that once the "other" agencies have it, the information has then been so widely disseminated that control of that information, preventing privacy intrusion, becomes close to impossible. Furthermore, the agreement doesn't cover those agencies to prevent any other entities from pulling data from the information. So, when it comes down to it, the new agreement between the US and the EU does nothing to actually protect the data and passenger privacy in the long run, the most crucial issue.
Finland's Justice Minister Leena Luhtanen said, This new agreement will provide a possibility of giving passenger data to the US authorities while guaranteeing sufficient data protection." It's amazing how far from the truth Justice Minister Luhtanen's statement is.
Originally posted by BBC News
Passenger data deal for US and EU
The US and the European Union have struck a new deal for sharing airline passenger data, after lengthy talks.
The interim agreement 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 US has sought information about air travellers since the 9/11 attacks.
EU officials described the deal, which came after nine hours of negotiations by video conference, as a "very important result" for the EU.
The previous deal lapsed on 1 October when both sides failed to agree on terms for a renewal. The new accord will expire at the end of July 2007.
Negotiations over a permanent deal will begin during an EU diplomatic visit to Washington in November.
Justice ministers from across the EU are scheduled to meet later on Friday to discuss the deal, which could be formally approved next week.
New safeguards
EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said new mechanisms had been agreed to distribute data from airlines to the US.
This new agreement will provide a possibility of giving passenger data to the US authorities while guaranteeing sufficient data protection
US officials will no longer be able to "pull" the information - which includes details on credit cards, passports, telephone numbers and even meal preferences - direct from airline computer systems, but will have it "pushed" to them.
The information will be sent to the US Department of Homeland Security, which will "facilitate" any wider distribution among other US counter-terrorism agencies, Mr Frattini said.
Civil liberties campaigners had argued that the amount of information collected is intrusive and that data protection once the details are in the US is weak, the BBC's Jonny Dymond reports.
It was the data protection issue that led to difficulties between the US and the EU.
The US wanted the information made available automatically to a number of different domestic agencies, but the EU wanted to be sure that if the information did move between agencies then it would remain secure, our correspondent says.
Addressing these concerns, Mr Frattini said the new deal allowed easier distribution of data, but would not allow "unconditional direct electronic access" by agencies such as the FBI...
Fines concern
...Carriers who fail to provide information are liable for fines of up to $6,000 (£4,030) per passenger or withdrawal of landing rights.
Announcing the deal at a news conference in Luxembourg, Finland's Justice Minister Leena Luhtanen, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said the new agreement was the best solution for all sides.
"This new agreement will provide a possibility of giving passenger data to the US authorities while guaranteeing sufficient data protection," she said. Go to Passenger data deal for US and EU (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5412092.stm) to read the entire article.