EU and US officials discuss border and immigration data sharing plans

The European Commission is continuing to negotiate with the United States after officials flew to Washington last week to discuss plans to grant American border authorities enhanced access to the personal data of European citizens. 

The new proposal will include the exchange of biometric information, fingerprints, and law enforcement records to help the US determine if travellers pose a risk to public security. The discussions come at a time when the US is proposing to review five years of visitors' social media history and faces scrutiny over its use of surveillance technology.

Politico reports that privacy advocates and lawmakers have expressed significant concern about the potential agreement. While Washington has cautioned that failure to reach a deal could result in Europeans losing access to the visa waiver programme, some MEPs argue that negotiations should be suspended until privacy guarantees are secured. 

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