"Heathrow Airport introduced a new security system for some of its passengers Friday, requiring them to undergo iris scans and be fingerprinted before boarding their flights."
International Herald Tribune article HERE

Bill

Would really like to respond in a considered and well thought-out way - but I am pretty sure that it will turn into a rant!!

I dont read our paper that carefully, but I am pretty sure that nothing has been reported about this in the British press. A lot of British travellers will be obliged to undertake this scan as many fly from the north to connect with international flights.

I'm not even sure this is legal, especially with the fingerprinting, as I thought that fingerprinting could only be demanded once a person was under arrest.

Julie

I'm really confused now. The HT reported the new rules as pertaining to Terminal 1. The webpage I work for reported just the other day that the new rules were for BA's new Terminal5 at Heathrow.

Domestic passengers travelling from Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester or Newcastle will have their photograph and fingerprints taken.

>Officials say the checks will be necessary because the open-plan layout of the new terminal, could potentially allow international transit passengers to obtain boarding passes and fake identification from domestic passengers, and bypass immigration controls.<

I'll investigate further because now I'm curious. I didn't do the above story but can inquire of my editor.

Yes, I heard the T5 story on BBC R4 some time last week. But that Associated Press story (the link is to the IHT, but the source is AP. The AP report is also on the Guardian's website: I didn't look at yesterday's paper closely enough to see if it was in print as well) clearly mentions T1 - where you'd have thought they would already have cleared up any lounge-sharing issues!

Jonathan

Doing my research and work this morning, I see there is another story telling how certain groups are protesting the 'racist' elements of the fingerprinting and comparing it to Nazi tactics. I don't know if I'd go that far, but there will certainly be a lot of human rights people getting into this debate.

quote:

but there will certainly be a lot of human rights people getting into this debate

I hope that there will be, but so far the silence is deafening!

Julie

Here's an article about the new procedures at Terminal 1 - Heathrow.

http://www.identityloop.com/general-id/i/162/

Being a wet liberal, I have realy mixed feelings about this. I want to know what happens to my data after I have got on the plane.

TimW

Just a guess, but I'm sure the information gets put onto a computer somewhere... then available at all security/customs checkpoints. It's like what's done now with passport information which is easily checked at entrance points to a country.

Big brother is watching. :-(

BAA say they will destroy the data after 24 hours. I wouldn't trust them to put the cat out.

Julie

LOL!!!