WASHINGTON — Several of the largest U.S. airlines secretly allowed a data broker to sell passengers’ personal and financial information to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), according to internal government documents obtained by 404 Media.
The broker, Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), which is partially owned by major carriers including Delta, American Airlines, and United, collected data such as names, flight schedules, and payment details and sold access to CBP under an arrangement that kept ARC’s identity hidden from the public.
Civil liberties advocates have raised concerns about the implications of the deal, especially given CBP’s role in aviation security and its growing data surveillance programs. CBP said it uses the information to assist state and local law enforcement in monitoring air travel safety.
Sen. Ron Wyden criticized the arrangement, stating that the airlines "gave the green light to sell their customers’ data to the government" and that ARC has "refused to answe…