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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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191–200 of 376 posts

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

#191
post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

U.S. border agents really are just worse. Much worse. (I can't say what racial profiling adds to that, I can only speak to my own experiences). I've been routinely grilled and extensively searched many times just crossing between the U.S. and Canada - the most hilarious instance being when I was crossing from Yukon Territory back to Alaska some 10 years ago. In Latin America, things are considerably more professional…

> In Latin America, things are considerably more professional, and the government officials don't act like they hate you and just want you to go away. Depends. Someone I know had a terrible experience crossing into Belize on a land border. Was held there for two hours while they "verified" something. Seemed like a power-tripping agent.

I would characterize Belize as part of the Anglosphere instead of Latin America. Last colonized by Britain as their last European influence on governance and only English as the official language. The anglosphere has the nastiest border controls in my experience.

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

#192
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…

> in the US you only need to go through fingerprinting only once (or maybe "once per passport") I’ve entered the US something like 150 times over 20 years. Visa free (ESTA) and on a B1 tourist visa. I’ve been fingerprinted and photographed every single time.

As has been discussed elsewhere, this sounds more like you are flagged than SOP.

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

#193
Am I the only person increasingly paranoid about the inevitability of having to give my fingerprints to the government? Once they're out there you can't exactly change them and in the future i'm sure imaging technology will become significantly advanced enough that a portable device could be made that identify everyone who touched a scanned surface. Maybe it's just a phobia I've had since I was super young but fingerprints feel like a really sensitive piece of biometrics to give up. I live in the US and have traveled to europe a few times but have never been fingerprinted as far as I'm aware.

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

#194
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 distinction still matters legally and administratively

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

#195
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…

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

No. I haven't had to do it in at least two years and I travel here frequently on an EU passport.

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

#197
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Bah. Stop fearmongering. All of your lists are choices. You could chose not to. But you don't because it's convenient.

Amazon shopping doesn't need a photo or fingerprints or date of birth.

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

#198
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…

No, if you don’t change your passport you only have to scan your fingerprints once in the EU.

I have just returned from the EU last week and I have been fingerprinted twice — once on entry and once on exit.

The US passport holders get fingerprinted on entry only, as I’ve heard.

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

#199
post #11

The future is bleak.

The future is bleak if you are attempting to cross borders with a forged or stolen passport. Nobody else is adversely affected by this.

The U.S. accessing my personal data causes immediate harm and completely unacceptable risk.

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

#200
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…

You don’t get fingerprints collected on departure, just on arrival. Unless you go through automated gates maybe?
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