Travelers to Europe May Face Fingerprinting

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Washington Post

The European Commission will propose tomorrow that all foreign travelers into and out of Europe, including U.S. citizens, should be fingerprinted. If approved by the European Parliament, the measure would mean that precisely identifying information on tens of millions of citizens will be added in coming years to databases that could be shared by friendly governments around the globe.

The United States already requires that foreigners be fingerprinted and photographed before they can enter the country. So does Japan. Now top European security officials want to follow suit, with travelers being fingerprinted and some also having their facial image stored in a Europe-wide database, according to a copy of the proposal obtained by The Washington Post.

The plan is part of a vast and growing trend -- especially across the Atlantic -- to collect and share data electronically for the purposes of tracking and identifying people in the name of national security and immigration control. U.S. government computers now have access to data on financial transactions; air travel details such as name, itinerary and credit card numbers; and the names of those sending and receiving express-mail packages -- even a description of the contents.

"It's the only way to be really sure about identifying people," said a European Commission official familiar with the new fingerprinting plan. "With biometric data, it's much easier to track people and know who has come in and who has gone out, including possible terrorists," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/11/AR2008021102786.html?nav=rss_email/components

[Wwagsthedog]

1. Makes one wonder...

...how secure various government data repositories are. Can't you see some governmemt nut job with your very own credit card info. Imagine the plethora of identity theft "opportunities". gaaaaaaaaaaaaaag!

[BearSquirrel2]

2. Listen ...

Listen and you'll here conservatives HOWL over this. How dare they fingerprint our citizens!!!

[roguevalley]

11. well, I guess I'll never get to go back to Ireland. I refuse to have

my fingerprints anywhere. Its a Viet Nam War kind of thing for me.

Fuck the Man. :)

[aquart]

3. Getting even, are they?

Serves us right.

[Mike Daniels]

14. They're doing it to everyone, not just Americans

Seems like a lot of effort if the only reason for this is "payback".

[Mind_your_head]

4. You know, "they" keep floating this stuff until we get so USED TO IT

that we *sigh* and say "okay".

But don't agree - don't EVER think/believe/acknowledge that this is acceptable! Don't EVER agree that this is 'okay' to do. They're floating this idea to see what our reaction will be....don't let it be a favorable one.

I just pulled down some articles off my bulletin board from 2002 and 2005 (if you pm me, I'll cite them specifically)....of instances where they were going to put in some fingerprinting system to pay for your groceries (Albertson's) or get/use a library card, etc., etc. It hasn't taken 'hold' YET.....but boy-oh-boy do the marketeers of the military-industrial complex keeping trying to get us to accept this shit!

ENOUGH ALREADY! "WE'RE NOT THE CRIMINALS" Stop treating the everyday person like they're the criminals! What happened to "being secure in your person & possessions", "unreasonable search & seizure", "Innocent until proven guilty"?

The REAL criminals are the people who are give and take no-bid contracts for this kind of UNNECESSARY BS that take away citizens rights to privacy!

SHEESH!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[Mind_your_head]

5. It is 'payback', but it's not the citizens who should be punished......

well, maybe we should b/c we didn't recognize and put the shrubco cartel "in its place".

[indepat]

7. By George, I think you got it

[truthisfreedom]

6. I read that as "Faceprinting." I can't wait. "Just press your entire face to this inkpad sir..."

"... and then slam it against this card."

[primavera]

9. Nah, it's easier to just microchip us all

That way big brother can keep track of our every movement at every minute of every day. Better practice your "Sieg Heils."

[eppur_se_muova]

8. "shared by friendly governments around the globe" ... define 'friendly' ...

and tell me how you can be sure they won't turn 'unfriendly' overnight, and make you regret sharing all that info.

[Redstone]

10. Well, then I won't be going to Europe. Fuck 'em, they can live without my tourist $$ if they

want to be that way.

Redstone

[Nihil]

12. That's exactly what some Europeans said to the US ...

... after being herded through US Customs & Immigration, photographed and
fingerprinted by brain-dead jobsworths.

"Welcome to the USA where we treat you like a criminal on arrival."

As others have pointed out upthread, this smacks more than a little of
payback for the pointless arrogant treatment of visitors to America.

The recent Euro/USD rates _have_ helped entice some people back but, even
then, it's not something I'm going to put my family through when most of the
rest of the world is still friendly.

:shrug:

Good luck to all you good folk that are being impacted by the actions of
the Fatherland.

[CTyankee]

13. oh god, now that I'm retired and can travel, another slap.

Bad enough that the dollar is so weak against the Euro, now this.

I can't say I completely blame them. But I'm going to Italy in May and Spain in early November, so I am just steeling myself for some nice, long airport hassles...

[conspirator]

15. 1984 is coming fast n/t