WASHINGTON — U.S. authorities will review how airlines protect their passengers’ personal information and whether they make money by sharing that information with other parties.
The Transportation Department announced Thursday that its review will focus on the 10 largest airlines in the United States and will cover the collection, handling and use of information about their customers.
“Airline passengers should trust that their personal information is not inappropriately shared with other parties or inappropriately handled by employees,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
A spokeswoman for the trade group Airlines for America said, “U.S. airlines take the security of customers’ personal information very seriously, which is why they have robust cybersecurity policies, programs and infrastructure in place to protect consumer privacy.” ”.
In announcing the review, the Transportation Department made no accusations against any of the airlines or mentioned any events that might have prompted the action. A spokesperson said it is being done “proactively” to help the department determine how to protect passenger information.
The department said it sent letters to each of the airlines — Delta, United, American, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Spirit, Frontier, Hawaiian and Allegiant — about their procedures for collecting and using passenger information, including “monetization.” of passenger data, targeted ads and data breach prevention.”
The agency also asked airlines if they have received complaints about employees or contractors mishandling personal information.
Delta, United, American, Southwest and Alaska referred questioners to the Airlines for America statement. Allegiant, which is not part of the trade group, said protecting its customers’ data is a priority and that it welcomes the government’s review.
Source: With information from AP.
