UK will share passenger data with US in Euro deal The UK has opted in to the EU passenger name record (PNR) agreement with the United States, Home Office minister Damien Green has confirmed. "The UK, in common with many other EU member states and third countries, places considerable value on the collection and analysis of PNR data (that data collected by carriers in the …
Is that defined anywhere? I can understand the use of data identifying who travelled, when they travelled and where they travelled, and wouldn't object to that being shared. What other data do they need that can be classified as 'sensitive'?
The agreements seem to be about ensuring that data that shouldn't have been shared in the first place is handled sensitively. How about keeping it simple: confine it to necessary data and remove the retention controls (that we know will be ignored anyway)?
I'm assuming it is the Data Protection Act definition of 'sensitive personal data' - i.e. information relating to mental/physical Health, Union membership, political allegance, sexual orientation/sex life, religion, ethnic/racial origin, commission (or alleged commission) of criminal offences.
Those items seem to fit the bill, but I wouldn't have thought the PNR database would naturally contain those things (or at least most of them). It wouldn't surprise me to see criminal record info in the data, but the rest shouldn't normally be available. Or is it that I don't get out much anymore?
You or I may not regard our name, phone numbers and permanent address as sensitive. If you were being pursued by an unbalanced or outright homicidal ex-partner or stalker, you might feel very differently. Especially after s/he had obtained that information by accessing the USA copy of your PNR, and visited you with a gun / knife / bottle of acid.
You might also find that if you were in that situation, it's highly probable that an intelligence agency's automated passenger record filtering system might decide that you were of greater interest than the average traveller. They don't know *why* you've changed your address three times in the past year, and your bank account five times, but they have noticed that you have done so.
ESTA provides less data than the PNR, and doesn't tie you to a particular flight or itinerary. You can apply for an ESTA with no existing travel plans. The PNR will contain all information about your flight, including (more than likely) connecting flights, how you paid, seat allocation, frequent flyer information, and if you booked in a group, who you're travelling with, etc. If you've flown recently file a request with the airline under the DPA to release their records and you may be surprised about the level of detail in the PNR.
If you booked a complete itinerary with the airline (e.g. BA Holidays) then the PNR may also hold hotel, car rentals, etc info. Which is one reason never to book package holidays as it collects more data about you in one place
Don't forget that on entering merkin land, the department of homeland security will also take your photograph and fingerprint you AND you will need, at least, a machine readable passport or the full blown e-passport with chip containing all your personal details.
With all these security procedures I just don't know how a terrorist like Timothy McVeigh ever got into the country.
Passengers flying to South Korea also will will be fingerprinted and photographed, etc. SK is not the only (nor the last) country, and, as time passes, others most undoubtedly will join in.
http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/17765/korean-immigration-enhance-security-and-efficiency
Kinda neat-looking/futuristic-looking tech...
Other URLs about it:
http://www.12fly.com.my/2012/01/korea-implements-biometric-identification-entry-process-on-all-foreign-passengers/
http://www.appletravel.cn/news-10362.html
it stays there. Forever.
And God have mercy upon you if you decide to visit the US again if, in the meantime, or ever in my lifetime, you go on a hiking trip to, say, the Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan (which, in all fairness, doesn't seem such an appealing destination now, as it was over ten years ago, when the "locals" were unlikely to put you in front of a a webcam and cut off your head as a token of their strong moral stand on Eastern v. Western values).
Well, but then, database handling and processing might get, at some point, outsourced to Google and combined with your online habits, very useful. For both parties.
nah, on second thoughts, this would never happen, never!
Outsourced to Google? Well, it already is.
ITA Software (http://www.itasoftware.com/) are a provider of airline management systems, including booking systems. Google owns them, though only a few airlines use ITA; most use something by Accenture, Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan or Amadeus.
Galileo, now there's a name I haven't heard for a while! (I went out with a travel agent for 7 and a half years). It always used to amuse me that the (large) agency she worked for had a typical customer record front-end but for anything else (checking availability/booking) it was back off into Teletext style land.
"Games up, TBH. We are all American now."
A suggestion that dates back to at least a play by George Bernard Shaw.
Europe is not North America.
When was the last time a doctor asked you for cash for your *appointment*?
And if it was that would mean you could *vote* which given many representatives (Congress & Senate) see <50% *total* turnout of their constituents might come as quite a shock.
>They'd prefer us aliens stayed at home.<
Here's one alien perfectly content to never go the US of A, and you know, with all this bending over and taking it, how come I can't get none? oh yea, I'm not a bully.
DISCLAIMER: All the Americans I've ever met have been great individuals, and I'm sure 99% of them are much like us, but man their content gate keepers and lawmakers are asses - I thought Barrack Obama was really gonna change the world, but I suppose, on the positive side he's not gonna get assassinated, he's too freaking white.
Does anyone seriously believe that this data isn't already exchanged ? Do people honestly believe that the security services have not been analysing and exchanging passenger data since at least the cold war ?
All this is doing, is formalising what will have been going on behind closed doors for years.
1) What rights does the UK/EU have to audit what the Yanks do with the data to make sure they don't flout the agreement with impunity, and 2) what are the repercussions if the Yanks DO flout the agreement?
I'm betting:
1) none
2) none
Which makes this treaty completely effin useless. A win for the Yanks data snarfing dogs (NSA, etc) and a loss for civil liberties elsewhere.
I know of at least one person (right upstanding citizen I'd vouch for in a heartbeat, etc. etc. etc.) who always ticks kosher and/or halal as food preference. Not religious in the least but doesn't eat pork as it causes them rashes and discomfort, and that's the easiest way to get it across.
I notice them booking less flying vacations these days, though. Wonder why that'd be.
"Outlining the plans, Green said the agreement:
restricts the purposes for which data can be processed to the prevention of and combating of terrorist offences and serious trans-national crime;"
FFS why do they bother? Is there anyone outside of government who even believes this press release shit?
It doesn't matter what you stamp "RESTRICTED" on if your definition of "terrorist" encompasses people who post asinine twitter updates, wear anti-government t-shirts, protest civil liberties, blog, infringe copyright or generally don't agree with anything the government says.
If I say I don't believe a word of it. First, it came out of the mouth of a politician so it has to be a lie. Second, I have no control or means of checking what actually happens to the data. Third, this constitutes just another data set that the government is collecting and, with the help of an outside agency (because, God knows, no government department has the ability) could quite simply compile into a database that allows prediction of actions and could be used as a pretext for intervention based on that prediction.
Did you know that photo ID is now needed to travel within the UK?
"Checking-in for the Ferry
All passengers aged 16 years and over are required to be in possession of photographic ID at check-in. Examples of acceptable ID include: photo driving licence, passport, student ID card and concessionary cards."
http://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/timetables.html
How do you prove a child is under or over 16?
If you cannot prove that, then how do you enforce the requirement that children over 16 have photographic ID?
The TSA has the same problem in the USA. Children under 16 are not required to produce ID, but there is no way to prove that ......
Are you a politician Mystic Megabyte? Your ability to misrepresent information is quite impressive.
Checking-in for the Ferry
All passengers aged 16 years and over are required to be in possession of photographic ID at check-in. Examples of acceptable ID include: photo driving licence, passport, student ID card and concessionary cards.
NorthLink operates a ticketless system with the key to your journey being the unique booking confirmation number. Please have this and your photo ID ready when checking-in.
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