Counter terrorism is creating a rift in EU-US relations. Everyone is ready to fight against terrorism, but the EU is reluctant to submit citizens' personal data to US authorities’ scrutiny. The dispute over data exchange rages on.

War on Data

9/11 changed the way   the Western World thinks about terror.

Security services either side of the   Atlantic have the same questions:

There is cooperation because it is in the   European interest to receive US data.

As they have more capacity for this than   all the EU countries put together.

But that cooperation went further   than Europeans realised.

The US had been accessing   and storing data

from the Belgian financial   service provider SWIFT,

which handles around 80% of electronic   money transfers from Europe.

The arrangement was eventually   legalised, but not to the EP’s satisfaction.

Last month it overwhelmingly rejected an   interim deal agreed by EU governments.

last time in Strasbourg   when parliament said,

'We want more citizens' rights.   We want more of a say'.

The US does now seem ready   to negotiate a fresh agreement

But the next argument   is just around the corner.

Airline passengers' data   has been transferred

to the US authorities   systematically since 2003.

Currently, that data can be stored   for up to 15 years

and used for purposes   other than anti-terrorism.

to use the time gained for   more negotiation.

We as elected representatives   of the European citizens,

not to defend   interests of other countries.

Some members are not convinced   that bulk data transfers

really are as useful in combating terrorism   as the security services claim.

There’s no dispute about working together   and preventing further acts of terrorism.

But data protection remains   a point at issue across the Atlantic.