Major airlines may have been secretly selling your flight data to DHS, report claims
Airlines could be selling passengers’ private data to the government
- Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may have purchased Americans' flight data from Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), a data broker owned by major U.S. airlines, without their knowledge, according to internal CBP documents obtained by 404 Media.
- The data includes passengers' names, itineraries, and financial information, and CBP requires it to support law enforcement in tracking individuals of interest.
- Senator Ron Wyden criticized the practice, stating that airlines are selling sensitive information to the government and that ARC has refused to answer oversight questions from Congress.
- ARC's Travel Intelligence Program (TIP) provides the data, which includes over a billion records updated daily, covering both past and future travel arrangements made through ARC-accredited travel agencies.
- CBP stated it is committed to protecting individuals’ privacy and follows a robust privacy policy.