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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

#161

Post by tremon »

izacus wrote: post #39
cm2187 wrote: post #18

I fail to understand the distinction between an ESTA and a visa to be honest. You need to do the paperwork in advance, pay, provide all sort of personal information, and it can be denied, and if approved only for a limited amount of time. Given that both the EU and the UK have reciprocated, it is a fiction that there exists some visa free travel between these 3 zones. And the more hassle you create, the less tourism…

The amount of data you need to provide for ESTA and a B1/B2 US Visa is not remotely comparable - the visa process has way more steps and requirements.

"you" being the operative word. The rest of the information will just be supplied by your government instead of yourself.

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

#162

Post by anvuong »

traceroute66 wrote: post #133
speak_plainly wrote: post #54

This is a good thing for travellers. In border security there are generally two camps, one that uses data and intelligence to go after the worst, large-scale criminal operations and networks, and generally makes travelling easy for the average person, and the other is like traditional cops using traditional tactics… the kind that will miss the person smuggling a kilogram of cocaine in their suitcase but will go after…

> In border security there are generally two camps Well, there is a third camp. Israeli-style bio-social profiling of 100% of travelers. That really makes travel awful !

Tbf Israel has more concern than travelers' comfort, given everything happening around them AND maybe within them too.

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

#163

Post by tremon »

some_random wrote: post #148
chrystalkey wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...uhm You are happy to share your home address and everything else to securely identify you to a government acting increasingly erratic? Because I am not. I would be happy if terrorism-flagged people are shared across borders, but not everyone. Remember once the dataset is there, it is not ever going to go away, regardless of who is in power

If you don't want the US to have your date of birth, photo, fingerprints, etc then don't go to the US. It's that easy.

Also don't have a Facebook account, don't shop with Amazon, don't use an Android or Apple phone, don't work for a company that uses Office365. Sounds real easy doesn't it?

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

#164

Post by DrScientist »

maratc wrote: post #64
thomasahle wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Whereas in the US you only need to go through fingerprinting only once Once for each arrival.

Not my experience the last time I entered. I travelled with a friend for whom it was his first time visiting the US. He was fingerprinted, I wasn’t (I was fingerprinted a while ago on one of my previous trips.)

The point of taking biometics is they can check if the same person is travelling on the same passport each subsequent visit.

Sometimes they rely on just image matching, and sometimes they ask for an additional finger scan ( but not normally all fingers of all hands like first registration ).

So perhaps if you have a generic looking face, or have changed your appearance since the first visit you are more likely to be fingerprinted.

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

#165

Post by mothballed »

themaninthedark wrote: post #116
mothballed wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 bo…

>The average US border official is just like the average official(and non-official) anywhere;

False. CBP is well known as bottom rung in terms of hiring of federal LEO and an employer of last resorts. For example, one of the most prestigious is the Marshals Service, and for instance HSI is typically far closer to "average" or above than CBP is. If you're dealing with something like a DEA or FBI agent that is roughly 'average' and CBP you are roughly dealing with the 'moron' end and roughly the professional and intelligence opposite of the Marshals.

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

#166

Post by anvuong »

mothballed wrote: post #52
toymin wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A visa allows you entry That's incorrect, holding a B1/B2 US visa only allows you to arrive at the port of entry, the actual permission to enter the country is always left to the border officer interviewing you

It is legal to show up at a port of entry without any sort of anything. If all it allows you to do is show up at the port of entry it's a worthless scrap of paper.

Not for airlines and international cruise ships with US as destination. The attendants won't let you board unless you have a valid US visas. Carriers get fined if they transport individuals with no proper documents to a US port of entry.

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

#167

Post by cromka »

maratc wrote: post #150
cromka wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be the same if US also shared US nationals fingerprints with EU.

Instead, the EU is going to collect the US nationals' fingerprints at the EU points of entry.

That's what US has been doing for over a decade if not two. Irrelevant point.

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

#168

Post by shevy-java »

This kind of reveals that the EU is undermined by lobbyists. The real actions are too obvious - this is an act of betrayal by EU "politicians".

Then again this is not uncommon either:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_corruption_scandal_at_th...

At the least the orange king does not hide his attempt to pillage as much money as possible while refusing to explain who all visited the sexy Epstein islands. I have a ... slight suspicion some billionaires not known yet have also partied with underage girls there.

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

#169

Post by anvuong »

pluc wrote: post #91

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

No chance the world powers (US, China, France, UK, etc.) will allow something like that unless they are the one who create and enforce it. It's basically the first line of defense for homeland security: don't let terrorists into your country.

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

#170

Post by shevy-java »

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…

Both the USA and the EU are doing Evil here. However had, this is not solely confind to biometric data only - this is about selling data to outside agencies, so the EU betrays EU citizens here.
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