European Union wants data on travelers

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Privacy advocates oppose a plan to collect personal data on U.S. travelers flying to Europe, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

"It almost becomes an arms race with one country adopting a data-gathering system without reflecting on whether or not the system is necessary," said Allison Knight, staff counsel for the Electronic

Privacy Information Center.

Under the plan to be announced this week, personal information on U.S. travelers to Europe would be exported to all 27 member states of the European Union, the Post reported.

The travelers' names, telephone numbers, credit card information, itinerary and even the kind of meals they ate in flight would be exported so EU states could assess the terror risk, the Post reported.

Airlines already share data with U.S. authorities on travelers entering the United States and Canada and Australia have similar laws.