In the digital world where personal privacy is increasingly at risk, it has now come to light that the U.S. government has been quietly purchasing airline passenger information without public knowledge.
A recent report by Wired revealed that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been buying large amounts of flight data from the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). This organization, which handles airline ticketing systems and works closely with travel agencies, reportedly provided CBP with sensitive passenger details such as names, full travel routes, and payment information.
ARC plays a critical role in managing airfare transactions worldwide, with about 240 airlines using its services. These include some of the biggest names in air travel, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Documents reviewed by Wired suggest that this agreement between CBP and ARC began in June 2024 and is still active. The data collection reportedly includes more than a billion flight records, covering trips already taken as well as future travel plans. Importantly, this data is not limited to U.S. citizens but includes travelers from around the globe.
What has raised serious concerns is that this information is being shared in bulk with U.S. government agencies, who can then use it to track individuals’ travel patterns and payment methods. According to Wired, the contract even required that the government agencies keep the source of the data hidden.
It’s important to note that the issue of airline passenger data being shared with the government was first highlighted in June 2024 by Frommer's, which referenced a related deal involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This earlier case was investigated by The Lever.
According to the privacy assessment reports reviewed, most of the data being purchased by CBP relates to tickets booked through third-party platforms like Expedia or other travel websites. There is no public confirmation yet on whether tickets bought directly from airline websites are also being shared through other means.
The U.S. government has reportedly justified this data collection as part of efforts to assist law enforcement in identifying individuals of interest based on their domestic air travel records.
When contacted by news organizations, including USA Today, both ARC and CBP did not provide any official responses regarding these reports.
The revelations have sparked public debate around digital privacy and the growing practice of companies selling consumer data to government bodies. The full scale of these practices, and whether more such agreements exist, remains unclear at this time.
