Major US airlines are under fire for quietly selling access to global travel data to the Department of Homeland Security. Fox News reports that Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and other carriers granted US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to the Airlines Reporting Corporation’s (ARC) massive Travel Intelligence Program (TIP) database through May 2028.
This database includes names, complete itineraries, and payment details for 54% of global flights. Furthermore, the contract, valued at $776,750, allows federal agencies to search passenger data using names or credit cards without the traveler’s knowledge or consent. ARC states that it created the program after 9/11 to support law enforcement.
How The Data Collection Works
The data collection extends far beyond what most travelers would expect. ARC’s core business involves managing ticket settlements between airlines and travel agencies. However, under the Travel Intelligence Program, they collect and monetize vast amounts of domestic flight booking data. The system contains over a billion records of both past and future travel, updated daily, and can be queried using various personal identifiers.
“I have never seen government access to ARC—or even ARC itself—mentioned in an airline privacy policy or a travel agency policy,” said travel data privacy expert Edward Hasbrouck to The Lever. This lack of transparency raises serious questions about consent and data rights. The Department of Homeland Security has defended its use of the data. The department stated in a Privacy Impact Assessment that the program helps with active investigations. Customs and Border Protection maintains that data is only accessed when a case is already open.
This data sharing agreement occurred alongside other privacy concerns in travel. These include the Real ID mandate, increased facial recognition at airports, and the collection of biometric data. Non-U.S. citizens face additional privacy challenges, as their biometric data may be stored for up to 75 years in the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology (HART) system.
