U.S. Pushes Forward on Passenger Risk Database

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is moving forward on a computerized system containing background information on air travelers despite resistance from airlines and privacy advocates, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The government will require airlines and air travel booking companies to let officials see passenger records, the newspaper said. Passengers through U.S. airports would be scored with a number and a color that ranks their perceived threat to the aircraft they are traveling on, the paper said.

A separate program is due to be launched this year that would give frequent fliers quicker passage through security checks if they volunteer personal information to the government, the newspaper said.

Privacy and consumer advocates say the programs could be discriminatory because some passengers would be screened more carefully than others.

The two programs would supplement the fingerprinting and photographing of travelers arriving in the United States that was launched last week.

Spock,

With all due respect, the "I have nothing to hide" mentality is why we are losing our rights. Government will keep encroaching until citizens complain. When you figure its the other guy and it doesn't affect you, the line keeps moving until it does affect you.

IMHO

But if it will prevent another 911 attack, then it is worth it. We should have a database of people getting on and off the planes a long time ago. Other countries have been doing it for decades. It is not about privacy, it is about national security and economic stability. Don't forget, you are in a public place and therefore the Government "own" you.

Do you not think the Government has access to all of our information already? This is just a step to openly let the public agree to open their own book. If they want to know about you, they will have their way. Whether you know it or not.

The point is check and balance. We should have a say when is enough, and when to give up privacy.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

"Other countries have been doing it for decades"

Which?

Israel.

__________________
'79 280SE
'87 560SEL
'83 280CE
'01 Nissan Micra
'98 VW Passat
'83 911 turbo

And BOY has terroism been eradicated for good out there!

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Reduced Liberty/Privacy = Bad Idea

"if it prevents another .... worth it."

Want perfect security? Kill everybody else on the planet.

Hmm, that may be a bit extreme.

Oh, I know--lets get all our women to wear blue bags, our men to wear beards, and start beheading those folks who don't agree?

Hmm, that may be a bit extreme, too.

How about creating a giant registry of everybody in the USA so that our government can track our purchases and movements--I've got nothing to hide, why not?

What price are we willing to pay for security? How much of your personal liberty are you willing to sacrifice?

Government incrementalism, whether with taxes, programs, projects, security, national defense, transportation--all of it--deprives you of your liberty by each increment.

Before long, you wont even miss it because you'll be safe and comfortable and somebody in government will have the responsibility for everything in your life.

Which flavor will we choose, Republican or Democrat?

Botnst

??

I'm in favour of the compulsory embedding of microprocessors sub-cutaneously and having these read everywhere automatically, linked up to a central computer. Would work a treat.

__________________
'79 280SE
'87 560SEL
'83 280CE
'01 Nissan Micra
'98 VW Passat
'83 911 turbo

Israel - an Israeli friend tells me this is the case. 2-3hour check-ins as well, apparently.

__________________
'79 280SE
'87 560SEL
'83 280CE
'01 Nissan Micra
'98 VW Passat
'83 911 turbo

Dang right! If we could put a 9v battery in there we could juice'm when they screw-up, too!

Botnst

Just take the amtrak, you get to sleep longer

Just to play Devil's advocate here, what gives you the right to travel anonymously? When you fly, you are signing a contract of carriage that contains all kinds of restrictions and provisions. Reporting to the government is simply one more.

And nobody says you have to fly. You could choose a private car, train, bus or boat. Passenger airliners have been proven to be weapons of mass destruction, so why not track every person who uses them?

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Rick Miley. I agree with you exactly. When you are in public, you are subjected to whatever public policies setforth.

If you are afraid of letting the Government know too much, wait till they starting installing RFID on every canned soup and toilet paper you buy. What you gonna do then? Let's face it, the liberty and privacy argument is the same as gun control. There is no winning or losing proposition.

Japan. Have you ever flew into Nirita International? I did 12 years ago. You talk about cavity search just to make connecting flight. Everyone is searched, and I mean body search. Men go in one line and women go the other.

China. You can guarantee plain cloth escort if you hold a foreign passport.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204