Flying to the USA? Not if you're Muslim

[Kajun]

Enjoy this article on new systems put in place for citizens travelling to the US.

IF YOU were thinking of taking your summer holidays in the United States this year you might like to know that, under an agreement between the European Commission and the US federal authorities, items of personal information will be communicated, without your consent, by the airline company with which you travel to the US Customs. Even before you board the plane the US authorities will already know your surname, first name, age, address, passport number, credit card number, state of health, food preferences (which could indicate your religion) and your previous travels.

CAPPS will evaluate the degree of danger passengers pose and will colour-code them accordingly: green for harmless, yellow for doubtful and red for those to be prevented from boarding. If the visitor is Muslim, or from the Middle East, a yellow code will be assigned automatically.

[Kajun]

boycottdelta.org/

privacyactivism.org/Topic/CAPPS

Worth noting that CAPPS isn’t actually in effect at the moment, but that the less sophisticated blacklists/watchlists are and have been for a while. And they don’t even work.

wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,58386,00.html
epic.org/

@Wired

Those who objected to being repeatedly targeted include a 71-year-old retired English teacher, a frequent business traveler with “top-secret” security clearance, an employee of the Bothell, Washington, city manager’s office, a prominent businessman from Huntington Beach, California, and a woman whose name is similar to an Australian man 20 years her junior.

Most said they understood the need for heightened security and that they hope they are eventually cleared to fly when they travel.

But all said they were inaccurately targeted by an overly simplistic system, and they complained of missed flights and invasive and embarrassing searches.

The Bothel, Washington, city worker said a National Guardsman aimed an M16 at him when he refused a request to stand on one leg because he was recovering from a leg injury.

[Metavoid]

Kajun, have you done the test on the ACLU website on the airport checks? It’s an eye-opener. And… http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2589317.stm