Now, reports are emerging that the Australian government may be compelled to share Australians’ biometric data and other information with the US and its agencies, including ICE, as part of a compliance measure to vet travellers entering the country under its Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
The Australian government, via the Department of Home Affairs, has so far declined to confirm whether it is currently complying with the demands or has plans to negotiate a data-sharing agreement. That’s despite the US setting a deadline of 31 December for finalising agreements with countries participating in its visa-free travel arrangement, including Australia.
Please can our government just tell the US to go fuck themselves
Does anyone know what happens with our data when Coles / CBA etc sends it to Google/Adobe etc?
If someone asked a politician would they know?Always has been.
5 eyes.
This is a significant escalation from existing arrangements, at least officially:
Biometric sharing programmes already exist between Five Eyes countries (New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom) as part of Migration Five arrangements but typically operated on a ‘hit/no-hit’ basis where initial biometric checks provided minimal information, and further data requests were considered on a case by case basis.
But EBSPs could provide full automated access to other countries’ national databases, according to critics and minutes from European Union member state negotiations.
My organization has come up with travel advice to the US. It boils down to avoid it if you can and definitely reconsider if you are an ethnic or sexual minority. Just like China really, bring a burner phone with your work account and only needed apps. Maybe we need alternative social media accounts with amazing collections of cat photos. Not my cats officer. I just collect photos of other people’s.
