Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

edri.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 376 posts

Re: The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

#111

Post by NietTim »

maratc wrote: post #12

The point missing in the article is that, in order to enter the US, one needs to give the US Govt their photo and fingerprints ("biometric data") anyway. There are two options: visa-free with the biometric data passing on the wire (no hassle), or visa (a major hassle) and biometric data passing in the airport (a minor one). As a side note, the EU also collects photo and fingerprints from visitors now. Whereas in the…

So let the people who want to go to the US do that and don't send data from the vast majority of people who will never visit the US there. It's claimed that only data of traveler's will be retrieved by the US but it's not 2012 anymore, we all know better.

Re: The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

#112

Post by naravara »

mothballed wrote: post #63
RandomLensman wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EU passports do.

The average US border official is a (angry) moron (with a badge and a gun). They've literally fingerprinted me on entry with a US passport because they were too stupid to figure out US citizens don't have to do that. I have been interrogated by CBP to ask if I "work in the country" despite being a citizen. Anything that changes the process from the simplest one-size-fits all will be fucked up, they cannot differentia…

I’m a minority who, despite visually fitting the stereotype of a plane hijacker, have found our passport control people to be nothing but professional and courteous. The overall system seems to be pretty efficient about moving people through, despite the airports I’m going through being out of date and not set up for the volumes of traffic they get.

This is a marked contrast to the rest of our immigration, border patrol, and airline security people who are lazy and needlessly aggro as a rule.

But if you asked me to trade the passport check experience of entering the US with the experiences I’ve had trying to get into France or Germany I’d pick the US hands down. Especially Frankfurt. WTF are they doing over there?

Re: The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

#113

Post by meta_gunslinger »

surgical_fire wrote: post #101
maratc wrote: post #12

The point missing in the article is that, in order to enter the US, one needs to give the US Govt their photo and fingerprints ("biometric data") anyway. There are two options: visa-free with the biometric data passing on the wire (no hassle), or visa (a major hassle) and biometric data passing in the airport (a minor one). As a side note, the EU also collects photo and fingerprints from visitors now. Whereas in the…

There's a third option - Not going to the US. It is my preferred option.

Virtue signal received.

Re: The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

#115

Post by NietTim »

Vinnl wrote: post #14

It's not clear to me if this would allow access to all biometric data, or "just" to that of people crossing the US border? And for the latter, what data are we talking about? If it's mostly fingerprints, don't those already get collected upon crossing the border? And can't they already be read from a passport's chip?

Supposedly it will be only requested for people crossing into the US. But it's not 2012 anymore and we all know better.

Re: The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

#116

Post by themaninthedark »

mothballed wrote: post #63
RandomLensman wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EU passports do.

The average US border official is a (angry) moron (with a badge and a gun). They've literally fingerprinted me on entry with a US passport because they were too stupid to figure out US citizens don't have to do that. I have been interrogated by CBP to ask if I "work in the country" despite being a citizen. Anything that changes the process from the simplest one-size-fits all will be fucked up, they cannot differentia…

The average US border official is just like the average official(and non-official) anywhere; mostly bored, waiting for their workday to be over so they can go home and do the things that they actually enjoy.

Not to say they don't make mistakes or don't fully read/understand their systems. A co-worker was former LEO, had his id stolen at that time. We were traveling back from an a vendor site across the border, the border agent misunderstood the system alert from "double check this guys docs to make sure he is who he says he is" to "Anyone using this id is traveling under a false name!" So he got held and questioned, called his former supervisor, CPB supervisor came and showed him how to get a travel redress number.

Amusingly, since we were traveling together, I got his luggage off the carousel and kept it with me as I watched them question him. After some time they decided to look at his bags and came looking for them, I told them I had them and he was with me. They took the bags and didn't even want to speak with me.

Re: The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

#118

Post by eigenspace »

maratc wrote: post #12

The point missing in the article is that, in order to enter the US, one needs to give the US Govt their photo and fingerprints ("biometric data") anyway. There are two options: visa-free with the biometric data passing on the wire (no hassle), or visa (a major hassle) and biometric data passing in the airport (a minor one). As a side note, the EU also collects photo and fingerprints from visitors now. Whereas in the…

What's unclear to me here is this: under this new scheme does the USA get access to the biometric data of people not travelling to the USA?

Re: The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

#119

Post by andix »

Vinnl wrote: post #14

It's not clear to me if this would allow access to all biometric data, or "just" to that of people crossing the US border? And for the latter, what data are we talking about? If it's mostly fingerprints, don't those already get collected upon crossing the border? And can't they already be read from a passport's chip?

I guess the US can freely request data on any citizen. The home countries don't know if you are actually traveling into the US. Direct flights are not the only option to reach the US.

Re: The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel

#120

Post by petcat »

pluc wrote: post #91

Why isn't screening tech globalized on a planetary level? Shouldn't someone like INTERPOL take care of that?

I doubt the US would ever outsource something like this (border security) to an international organization like INTERPOL. It uses INTERPOL to track down and catch wanted people abroad, but that's it.
Post reply on HN