Terminal 5 at Heathrow Demanding that all travellers give fingerprints!True?Legal or not?Can one refuse?

Question

I have read and heard several times recently that BAA have introduced compulsary fingerprinting for all travellers! I have also been led to believe that no law has been passed to allow this very blatant intrusion of one's civil liberty by a private company. {a} Is the fingerprinting rule true? {b} Is it legal and if so why does it only apply to Terminal 5 and not every airplane passenger in Great Britain? {c} Depending on the answer to the above two questions, would one be within their rights, legally, to refuse and {d} would BAA or your carrier be allowed to stop you travelling just on these grounds alone?

I know that the carrier or BAA can refuse to permit anyone to travel without giving a reason, just like any business can refuse to serve somebody. So if you did refuse they could make any excuse to refuse your travelling 'they do not like your hair colour, you look under the influence, you look dodgy, the flight is overbooked etc.etc.etc. However if everybody refused, what then?

Answer 1

you're lucky, over here they take foot prints.

Answer 2

They have now backed down from this and you don't have to give them now but even so i think the whole idea of it is wrong

Answer 3

You're a little behind the news. They have decided not to do it after threats of legal action, and considering invasion of privacy laws.

Answer 4

If everyone ignored the smoking ban in pubs the police would be powerless. Unfortunately this will never happen. The same applies to finger printing at airports as very few will refuse to give them .

Answer 5

If you don't do anything wrong, there's nothing to worry about.

I don't intend to commit acts of terrorism, so I couldn't care less who has my fingerprints.

If what you say is true, and you refuse to provide fingerprints, I expect that they will, in turn, refuse to allow you on the plane. And that would be cutting your nose to spite your face somewhat.