Passenger Data

After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Western countries, most notably the United States and the members of the European Union (EU), decided to intensify the fight against terrorism. An example of the countermeasures taken has been the large-scale analysis of stored personal data. The intent of this practice is to prevent terrorism or serious crime. Passenger data collection, within the framework of air transportation, illustrates perfectly the debate surrounding the choice between security, considered as indispensable, and liberty, threatened by infringements on fundamental rights. This entry first reviews the various mechanisms utilized by the United States to collect passenger data and then examines the ethical and legal considerations of passenger data collection and analysis.