US terrorism requirements infringe privacy

House of Lords committee warns that re-use of airline traveller data could violate EU data protection laws

EU should get tough, say peers

US re-use of traveller information exchanged under anti-terrorism requirements could be breaking data protection laws, according to peers.

The existing agreement is 'inadequate' and routinely breaches privacy provisions, says a report published today by the Lords European Union Committee.

The EU should get tough with US authorities in negotiations over a new agreement on the exchange of airline passenger information. The US should be encouraged to destroy existing airline records data after three-and-a-half years.

The committee said it accepted the data could be valuable in protecting the public from the threat of terrorism but said the rights of law-abiding travellers should be protected.