It’s nice to see that this controversial practice will end, as sometimes public backlash does accomplish something.
Airlines stop secretly selling passenger data to US government
Several months ago, I wrote about how airlines were secretly selling passenger data to the US government. The Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC), which is owned by several large airlines (Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United, etc.), was selling passenger data to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The contract between ARC and CBP even specifically stipulated that the government couldn’t admit where it got that data, which sure sounds suspicious. This included around one billion records searchable by name, credit card, airline, etc., and it applied to roughly 39 months of travel history, plus upcoming bookings.
As you’d expect, once this was made public, there was quite a bit of anger, given the secretive nature of this. So 404 Media now has an update, after some politicians demanded answers as to what was going on. In a letter signed by ARC CEO Lauri Reishus, the organization confirmed
“Your letter urges the recipients to compel ARC to shut down the Travel Intelligence Program (TIP). As part of ARC’s programmatic review of its commercial portfolio, we have previously determined that TIP is no longer aligned with ARC’s core goals of serving the travel industry. All TIP customers, including the government agencies referenced in your letter, were notified on November 12, 2025, that TIP is sunsetting this year.”
This is a positive and overdue development
I’m happy to see this change. What made this situation interesting is that ARC only used data for tickets booked through travel agencies, and not those booked directly with airlines (making up around 50% of ticket sales, give or take).
So while government agencies seeking information about tickets booked directly with airlines would need a subpoena or court order, ARC’s data sales enabled government agencies to just search through a database. That doesn’t seem right.
As you’d expect, the same politicians who sent a letter requesting answers are now praising this change. In response to this update, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said the following:
“It shouldn’t have taken pressure from Congress for the airlines to finally shut down the sale of their customers’ travel data to government agencies by ARC, but better late than never. I hope other industries will see that selling off their customers’ data to the government and anyone with a checkbook is bad for business and follow suit.”
Meanwhile New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat said the following:
“This is what we do. This is how we’re fighting back. Other industry groups in the private sector should follow suit. They should not be in cahoots with ICE, especially in ways that may be illegal.”
Bottom line
The Airline Reporting Corporation, which is owned by several major airlines, has secretly been selling airline passenger data to the US government for a long time, under the condition that it would be secret.
As you’d expect, once this was discovered, there was quite a bit of backlash. With pressure from politicians and the public, the organization is now reversing course, and will no longer sell data to the government.
What do you make of this update?