T5 Finger-printing

[Stoic]

From the Press Association:

Plans to fingerprint passengers using Heathrow's new fifth terminal have been challenged by the UK's data protection watchdog.
The Information Commissioner's Office has warned airport operator BAA that the security measure may breach the Data Protection Act.
BAA confirmed that it was in negotiations with the Commissioner over the fingerprinting of passengers, but insisted that there was no prospect of the row delaying Thursday's scheduled operational opening of Terminal 5.


Any informed views on what is going on?

Stoic

[CorkEICK]

Check this thread out. http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=319346

[Stoic]

I had not thought to look in Jetblast. Never usually look at it myself.

Surely this is a serious issue affecting the smooth running of T5?

[CorkEICK]

:confused:??????? Its in Airlines, AIRPORTS and Routes.

[CorkEICK]

Its also here http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=317369

Passengers and SLF

[Yarpy]

>>Any informed views on what is going on?<<

Sure. As an anti ID cards campaigner I am happy to help.

The campaign group Privacy International:

http://www.privacyinternational.org/

made a formal complaint to the Information Commissioner:

http://www.ico.gov.uk/

that the BAA had breached Data Protection laws. The ICO has taken a very strong line against BAA after a raft of complaints about the issue (including one from me). Fingerprints are regarded as personal data by the EU convention on data protection. As such consent must be freely given for the data to be extracted. It cannot be construed as 'consent freely given' if you are denied the right to travel by a private company for refusing to comply. They must give you an opt out if you refuse. Banning you from travel is not an opt out!

Additionally there is a very grey area as to who holds responsibility for the scheme. The Department of Transport says it is the responsibility of the Borders & Immigration Agency. The BIA says it is the responsibility of the BAA. The BAA says it is the responsibility of the DoT. British Airways says it is the responsibility of the BIA and the BAA.

Someone is fibbing !

Hope that helps.

[Stoic]

Although I can appreciate the human rights issues, the issue that I was interested in was the smooth opening of T5!

S

[Yarpy]

>>Although I can appreciate the human rights issues, the issue that I was interested in was the smooth opening of T5!<<

So should BAA have been but if you ride roughshod over the law of the land then expect to be taken to task!

If they lose money over this it's entirely their fault.

[Shunter]

I think this sums it up pretty well...

To summarize the situation. A private company introduces an unlawful measure to maximize its profit, fails to follow accepted procedure, lies to you about why it’s taking away your rights and then threatens to bar you from travel if you don’t comply.

[411A]

To summarize the situation. A private company introduces an unlawful measure to maximize its profit, fails to follow accepted procedure, lies to you about why it’s taking away your rights and then threatens to bar you from travel if you don’t comply.

Perps in the USA have gone to jail for quite sometime, for less.
The UK had better get a grip on the situation.

[llondel]

I'd settle for a quiet waiting room away from all the shops - just include a drinks machine dispensing bottled water for the flight, a water fountain and toilet facilities.

Who needs the BAA shopping experience? I'm there to catch a flight, not shop. (Except I'll be doing my best to avoid T5 and any airline using it)

[XX621]

Yarpy: Thanks for efforts on this. I for one I appreciate it.

The use of fingerprinting by BAA is an outrage. We are sleep-walking into a surveillance society, actually more like sleep-sprinting.

What is even more disturbing is the willingness of people to accept such measures, given a reason that "sounds reasonable" and/or it makes their lives easier in some way (i.e fast tracked security).

Personally, I find it very worrying indeed.

[Guest 112233]

Just to add my 2 pennyworthon to this one, as a regular SLF. As alluded to in a previous post on PPRUNE, If you have less than the regulation 8 Fingers & two Thumbs (like me), the proposed system should be able to accomodate this. Thats based on my Americian experence. Although the fear of holding up my fellow SLF in the que behind does nag me on this one. Additionally some individuals, particularly Nurses may have degraded fingerprint profiles - pruner's may think of other groups. Most importantly the use of scanned fingure prints instead of say a scanned/printed photo on a temp boarding pass may at some stage in the future, allow direct real time interrogation of the scanned prints against a national or international database. I E investigation without good reason and explicit consent.:hmm: