WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. and European officials are trying to find a compromise to allow greater government access to airlines' databases of personal information.
The issue has gained momentum since British police charged several people in an alleged bombing plot this month, and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has a new ally in European government, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
That is Franco Frattini, vice president of the European Commission and the European commissioner responsible for justice and security, who also wants access to passenger itinerary data that can include credit card information, e-mail addresses and emergency contacts.
Europe has no system in place to routinely gain access to this data but Frattini intends to propose policies that allow governments to tap into it so they can quickly check the background of individuals boarding flights to Europe, the Post said.
Jay Stanley, a privacy expert at the American Civil Liberties Union, told the Post he was leery of expanding data flow.
"This is a confirmation of our warnings that once you let the camel's nose under the tent, it takes 10 minutes for them to want to start expanding these programs in all different directions," he said.
