January 2, 2026
Face-scans, fingerprints, and fury
US Government demands access to European police databases and biometrics [video]
Visa-free trips at risk as US wants Europe’s fingerprints and face pics
TLDR: The U.S. wants visa-free countries to let it directly search police biometric databases or lose visa-free travel by 2026. Commenters push back, demanding sources, questioning reciprocity and scope, and mocking “sovereign data” claims while flagging GDPR worries—why it matters: this could reshape travel, privacy, and transatlantic trust.
The U.S. wants a “backstage pass” to European police files—fingerprints, face photos, the lot—via an “Enhanced Border Security Partnership” (EBSP). Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries that refuse could lose visa-free travel. The comments erupted: distrust is the default. One top take says this would’ve been fine a decade ago, but “not with the U.S. in its current form.” Others note even EU countries don’t give each other this level of access; they use a safer “hit/no-hit” ping before sharing more.
From there, the thread turns into a live fact-check: skeptics want a primary source, pragmatists ask how much access—everything or just travelers? A Belgian commenter drags their own government for flirting with Palantir and Oracle, mocking promises of “Sovereign Data Streams.” Cue jokes about ICE getting a universal remote for Europe’s databases and passports becoming loyalty cards. Big question: Is this reciprocal or a one-way door? With a 2026 deadline ticking, some countries reportedly already said yes. The EU is scrambling to craft a framework that won’t break the GDPR (Europe’s strict privacy law). Whether you call it security or snooping, the crowd’s mood is pure side-eye.
Key Points
- •The U.S. is asking all 43 Visa Waiver Program countries to sign an Enhanced Border Security Partnership allowing direct U.S. access to national police biometric databases.
- •Non-compliant countries risk losing visa-free travel to the United States.
- •The proposal goes beyond EU norms, which use hit/no-hit exchanges under frameworks like the Prüm Treaty, now expanding to facial images.
- •The EBSP could affect anyone under border authorities’ remit; the article cites Germany’s databases (about 5.5 million facial images and similar fingerprint counts) as an example of scale.
- •EU institutions aim to negotiate a common framework; GDPR compatibility is questioned, and the U.S. deadline for VWP states is 31 December 2026, with some already agreeing bilaterally.