Airlines Are Selling Your Data to ICE
a year ago
- #aviation
- #immigration
- #privacy
- Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) collects and sells passenger data to ICE and other federal agencies.
- ARC processes data for 12 billion flights annually, covering 54% of global flights.
- Data includes flight itineraries, passenger names, and financial details, accessible via the Travel Intelligence Program.
- ARC is jointly owned by nine major airlines, including Delta, United, and American Airlines.
- Privacy experts raise concerns over civil liberties due to unrestricted government access to vast passenger data.
- Federal agencies like ICE, DOD, and Treasury have contracts with ARC for travel data access.
- ARC's database holds over one billion records, spanning 39 months of past and future travel data.
- No alternative clearinghouse exists, making ARC's monopoly over airline passenger data a significant concern.
- Contracts with federal agencies have earned ARC over $1.3 million since 2024.
- Critics question privacy safeguards and potential misuse of data amid Trump's immigration crackdown.