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

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

#151

Post by dinkelberg »

eigenspace wrote: post #139
dinkelberg wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the analysis linked in TFA: "The automated query can be based on: * Identity information included in the application or in travel documents, such as name, date of birth, national ID number, and/or * the fingerprint of an individual." Sounds like they could send requests to that computer system just based on publicly available information on a person like name and date of birth, even if the person never applied f…

Well, a national ID number isnt usually publicly available info, even if it can be obtained by the US government through illicit means. But yeah, it does sound that way, but certainly not clear cut to me what the situation is. I.e. does the agreement involve clauses about what to do if this is abused? Do we have a way to detect if theyre using this on non-travellers? Etc.

This is the leaked draft: https://statewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/wk_5183_20...

It's not clear how it is supposed to work in detail. But it sounds like it could be implemented in a way that makes illegitimate queries possible. It doesn't sound like they want to really ensure that you can catch those.

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

#152

Post by dizhn »

saturn8601 wrote: post #109
bluGill wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does the EU really collect that, or only sometimes? I know the EU reserves the right to collect all that, but do they in practice? I haven't been to the EU in a decade, but last time I was there I was standing in the customs line for non-EU residents and someone official saw my US passport in hand and directed me to the much shorter/faster EU citizens line. I walked right through customs without being checked at all.

10 years ago I walked right past the French immigration officer by accident because I didn't know where I was going. He yelled at me to get back in line, quickly stamped my passport and then shooed my along. EU has become a lot more like the US. I'd probably been detained if I had done that in the US. Last year visiting Switzerland they had these machines that auto adjust a camera to your height and there was no way…

About the same time ago I walked out of the airport in Tel Aviv and a military guy with an assault rifle asked to see my passport. This was after having gone through passport and customs checks inside of course. :)

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

#154

Post by iinnPP »

continuational wrote: post #147
dataflow wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Edit: sorry, I misunderstood the post.

The parent post is saying that the officer didn't show up for 20 years, with no burglaries in your neighborhood in between.

Unmentioned is the effect of having officers watch your home the entire time. Which is the tradeoff not worth the hassle for everyone.

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

#155

Post by angry_octet »

It shouldn't be possible for the US to request this data without the passport being physically present at a US entry facility (border, airport checkin scan, consulate) where fingerprints/photos are actually compared.

Before that point, only passport information tuples should be queryable, i.e., "Is {passport number, name, dob, pob, issue date, expiry} valid?".

We should remember that the current (and likely future) administration is actively hostile to transgender and intersex people, and persecutes US citizens with changed gender identifiers. Discrimination based on ethnicity is only one Overton-lurch away.

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

#156

Post by anvuong »

happymellon wrote: post #145
maratc wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, it could depend on the type of visa too. I only enter for tourism (B2 I think) and have never overstayed.

Never overstaying, always fingerprinted on arrival.

Your profile probably flagged some checks so they needed to get your fingerprints to actually confirm you are the one on the visa. I've never had to give fingerprints except for my first US visa.

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

#160

Post by tremon »

some_random wrote: post #102
calgoo wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

do they actually say that they can only do a lookup when checking a visa, or are we giving api access to the US government and saying "Dont do evil" >

If you expect that level of incompetence from your elected officials than maybe the problem isn't the US.

Your comment presupposes that there can be only one problem; I don't think that's a valid assumption.
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