UK joins EU deal to share air travellers‘ data with US

Home Office minister confirms government has signed up to EU-US agreement on passenger name records

Sade Lajay

The UK has opted in to the EU passenger name record (PNR) agreement with the United States, Home Office minister Damien Green has confirmed.

„The UK, in common with many other EU member states and third countries, places considerable value on the collection and analysis of PNR data (that data collected by carriers in the exercise of their business) for the purpose of preventing terrorism and serious crime,“ Green said in a written ministerial statement.

PNR data is mainly used as a criminal intelligence tool to identify potential passenger risks and to provide law enforcement authorities with data prior to the arrival or departure of a flight. (more on guardian.co.uk)