A new leak has revealed that major U.S. airlines have been selling passenger data to federal agencies through a data broker they collectively own.
According to documents obtained by 404 Media, Delta, United Airlines, and American Airlines are among those involved in providing extensive flight records to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a division of the Department of Homeland Security.
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The data was sold through the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), which is partly owned by at least eight major airlines.
ARC provides information from its Travel Intelligence Program (TIP), which includes names, itineraries, and payment details of passengers who book flights through travel agencies like Expedia. Data from direct bookings with airlines is not included.
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CBP claimed that the data was used to track persons of interest for ongoing investigations and said it follows privacy protocols.
However, critics argue that this arrangement bypasses legal safeguards and raises serious concerns about government surveillance and data ethics. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also been purchasing the data, which reportedly played a role during nationwide raids.
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The contract between ARC and CBP began in June 2024 and could run through 2029, with payments already made and renewed under “Option Year 1.”
Senator Ron Wyden criticized the deal, calling it a way to sell off Americans’ sensitive data without transparency. The contract also required CBP not to disclose the source of the data.
Jake Laperruque from the Center for Democracy & Technology said that although such data purchases may be legal, they bypass important safeguards and lack independent oversight.
The ARC board includes representatives from U.S. carriers such as Delta, Southwest, United, American, Alaska Airlines, and JetBlue, along with Lufthansa, Air France, and Air Canada.
