EU Asks Staff to Use Minimal Tech on US Trips

(MENAFN) In response to rising concerns about surveillance, the European Union has recommended that personnel traveling to the United States carry only essential electronic equipment and information technology tools, based on a report by a news website on Monday, referencing anonymous informants.

This shift in travel policy is unfolding against the backdrop of intensifying trade disputes between Brussels and Washington, particularly related to increased American tariffs.

According to insiders, the European Commission has introduced these guidelines for employees preparing to attend upcoming assemblies organized by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Staff members have allegedly been directed to use “burner phones” — prepaid mobile devices that are not connected to their personal details — and basic laptops containing only limited, non-sensitive information.

Additionally, officials are said to have received instructions to deactivate their devices and secure them in anti-tracking pouches once they reach US soil.

These preventive actions resemble the protocols implemented for journeys to Ukraine and China, reportedly due to fears of surveillance by Russian or Chinese authorities, sources indicated.

“They are worried about the US getting into the Commission systems,” one insider remarked.

“The transatlantic alliance is over,” another one stated.

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