UK on collision course with EU over passenger data

The British government appears to be on a collision course with the European Union, on the issue of passenger data. Britain’s often strained relations with continental Europe is hardly out of the ordinary, but the UK is now finding itself at odds over the EU’s decision to restrict what type of information may be collected on passengers traveling by air and how confidential details may be stored. The UK wants more control over how much information it collects, while the EU is concerned about issues of privacy and is set to accept restrictions. Airlines throughout Europe already collect a significant amount of personal information on travelers, including full names, home addresses and the method of payment used to purchase a ticket. Carriers also store information on the number of bags that passengers check. The EU’s current proposal stipulates that member states would only be able to use this data in their efforts at combating terrorism and organized crime. Britain, however, feels that this is too restrictive, as the government also needs a way to protect the country from crimes committed by individuals. Brussels now plans to maintain a department called a “passenger information unit,” which would be responsible for collecting and preserving information supplied by airlines, as well as ensuring that irrelevant details are deleted from the system. The EU plans on storing all relevant data on a passenger’s entry point, departure and any time in transit for up to eight years, after which point this information would be removed from the database. Some British MPs, however, have raised concerns regarding privacy rights.