EU agrees to passenger data sharing

The European Union has reportedly given in to pressure from the United States and has agreed to hand over personal data of travellers heading for the US. After a long-running dispute over civil liberties and aviation security, the European commission yesterday confirmed that it is ready to authorise the handing over of passenger information gleaned at the time of booking, as long as the United States enforces certain safeguards; that is, that the information will only be used to fight terrorism and other “serious crimes”. According to The Guardian, the United States will be allowed to record 34 different types of data, including name, address, credit card numbers, and the amount of luggage checked in. Dietary requirements will not be passed over, as this could possibly lead to a passenger’s religion being revealed. Stewart Verdery, of the US department of homeland security, reportedly said: “There was pain on both sides but we have come up with a very solid middle ground.” The Guardian points out that the agreement could mean airlines refusing to sell a ticket to certain passengers if they refuse to give information, while passengers who give incomplete information could face additional questioning on arrival in the United States.