More airport security proposed for E.U.
European officials are proposing new airport security measures that would require the E.U.'s foreign visitors to have their fingerprints scanned into a database. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports tourists might balk at the idea.
Airport passengers have their fingerprints scanned. (Junko Kimura/Getty Images)
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Doug Krizner: Since September 11, foreigners entering the U.S. have had their fingerprints scanned into a database. Now, European officials are considering a similar security measure. The European Union is unveiling a proposal today to require visitors from outside the E.U. to be fingerprinted. Marketplace's Nancy Marshall Genzer takes a look.
Nancy Marshall Genzer: Ella Fitzgerald sang about a warm embrace in Paris. Well, Paris's embrace could soon be even hotter. The fingerprinting proposal would allow police to track visitors closely.
University of Portland Finance and Transportation Professor Richard Gritta predicts most business travelers, though, would just knuckle under.
Richard Gritta: It's just another part of doing business. Get fingerprinted and the heck with it.
They could even decide to pay more to have their irises scanned, for fast-tracking.
Marc Rotenberg is executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. He says tourists might balk at iris scans and fingerprints.
Marc Rotenberg: You want to take pictures and remember nice memories. You don't want to be standing in front of a fingerprint reader giving them your 10-print.
The E.U. has already given preliminary approval to another plan that forces airlines to provide data on passengers' credit cards and addresses.
In Washington, I'm Nancy Marshall Genzer for Marketplace.
