U.S., Europe clash over access to passenger data

What I find particularly disturbing about this story is that the US is being charged with being the more aggressive in terms of invading personal privacy, compared to the EU, newly crowned home of Big Brother.....

The government's plan to collect personal data on airline and cruise passengers in order to prevent terrorists from entering the country is running into resistance from the European Union, which says the proposal violates its privacy laws.

The issue has the potential to erupt into a major trade dispute if the United States and EU fail to reach a compromise, said Peter Swire, an Ohio State University law professor who advised President Clinton on privacy issues.

"If the Europeans push on this, they could make it very painful for the U.S. carriers, who would be caught in the middle of a political issue," Swire said.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and his undersecretary, Asa Hutchinson, will meet Monday with EU internal market commissioner Frits Bolkestein in Brussels to discuss the matter.

The issues at the heart of the dispute are similar to those being raised in America about the Transportation Security Administration's plan to collect personal information on all domestic airline passengers to ensure no wanted criminals or potential terrorists board planes.

www.sfgate.com.../news/archive/2003/09/19/national0158EDT0424.DTL&type=printable

On the article: Well of course the US is being more aggressive ... they're trying to blatantly contradict EU policy. I hope the Europeans push on this point. I hope the EU throws out the ridiculous software patent laws it's enacting. I hope the EU and the US step each others toes off in their little dance of hegemony! That might give what little emerging disent in America to throw things off track.

edit- I was trying to find some good quality European political message boards but so far I haven't found any. It would be a good resource to tap.

[Edited on 22-9-2003 by ktprktpr]

What if the europeans are working in cahoots with terrorists to undermine the US?

Another bone of contention between the EU and USA, now. They submitted a proposal to clarify certain things and amend some of the stricter points. Thank god. Technology is Knowledge Expressed As Power. Have no doubt.

www2.europarl.eu.int...//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A5-2003-0238+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN

This i highly doubt. It would be nearly impossible to coordinate that many things. The only way this would be feasible is if the EU were ther terrorists. And that itself is also highly improbable.