@eff the EU does some good things but this does not sound like one of them.
I feel like these things always feel even worse to many Americans because we see how awful a government can get while still pretending to be the best in the world. So we fear that such schemes would be embraced by our own surveillance State and abused in ways that would give even Europeans nightmares.
The worst part of all is that you won't find any serious sources (at least in #Spain) talking about it and addressing the problem. This self-damaging provincial attitude will cost us dearly.