EU mulls U.S.-style travel data collection

BRUSSELS, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The European Commission in Brussels is proposing collecting international air travelers' personal data, similar to the controversial U.S. program.

The proposal would collect data including names, addresses, credit card information and mobile phone numbers only from people from non-European Union countries, the EU Observer said.

However, the proposal doesn't rule out collecting the data from all travelers in the future, the report said.

The idea has some support from Denmark, Estonia and France, although German center-right parliamentarian Manfred Weber told the newspaper he was opposed to it.

"We are skeptical about the absolute necessity of a European system of flight data storage," Weber said. "So far, the United States and other countries using the … system have failed to convince us about its necessity."

The United States requires all airlines flying into or even over the country to provide the authorities will all passenger data.