The European Commission quietly approved an agreement this week which gives the US Department of Homeland Security unprecedented access to the personal information of anyone on a transatlantic flight, including details of their sex lives and orientation. The DHS insists on the right to use the information for disease control, so there are now fears gay passengers may be singled out as possible HIV risks. The plans involve upgrading information which is already sent by airlines to the DHS on the 4-million-plus Britons who visit the US every year, including payment details, home address and the passengers' in-flight meal choice. The agreement adds 19 possible new categories, including information on ethnic origin, political and philosophical opinions, credit card numbers, trade union membership, sex life and details of the passengers' health. The information will be provided by passengers when making bookings. The US is not required to provide this information about its citizens. Franco Frattini, vice president of the European Commission, said more sensitive information would be filtered out, and only used, "in exceptional cases, and to fight terrorism and other serious crimes." Peter Hustinx, the European data protection supervisor, wrote to the Commission expressing his 'grave concern' that there is no mechanism for EU citizens to challenge misuse of personal information and that there was no legal precedent. "Data on EU citizens will be readily available to a broad range of US agencies and there is no limitation to what US authorities are allowed to do with the information," he said, according to the UK's Guardian newspaper. "I have serious doubts whether the outcome of these negotiations will be fully compatible with European fundamental rights, which both the Council and the Commission have stated are non negotiable." Ref: Pinknews.co.uk (m)