Transportation Department to Investigate Airline Privacy PracticesFederal Authorities Launch Probe on Airline Handling of Passenger Data. Credit: techxplore.com

Federal authorities announced on Thursday that they will be conducting a thorough examination of how airlines handle and safeguard personal information of their passengers. This review, which will focus on the top 10 U.S. airlines, will cover the entire process from data collection to its use.

According to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, it is crucial for passengers to have confidence in the protection of their personal information and for it to not be shared with any unauthorized parties or mishandled by airline employees. This statement was supported by a spokesperson for the Airlines for America trade group, who stated that U.S. airlines have strong policies and cybersecurity measures in place to ensure the privacy of their customers.

The review was announced without any specific allegations against any of the carriers or any specific incidents that prompted the move. A spokesperson for the Transportation Department clarified that this is a proactive step taken to assess the current state of passenger information protection and determine ways to improve it.

Letters have been sent to each of the 10 airlines, including Delta, United, American, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Spirit, Frontier, Hawaiian and Allegiant, requesting details about their information collection and use procedures, as well as their methods for preventing data breaches and potential monetization of passenger data. The department also inquired if there have been any complaints regarding mishandling of personal information by employees or contractors.

Representatives from Delta, United, American, Southwest, and Alaska have directed inquiries to the statement released by the Airlines for America trade group. Allegiant, which is not a part of the trade group, expressed its commitment to protecting customer data and welcomed the government's review.

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