Airline companies secretly sold the US passenger data to Homeland Security

At this point, most North -Americans are aware that their personal information is often for sale. But few would have hoped that their national flight records would be part of trade.

You could think that when you reserve a flight, the data stay between you, the airline and perhaps your travel agency, but a new report suggests otherwise. Internal documents reveal that major U.S. airlines have been pocketing data from detailed passenger data to a little -known runner, who then sells this information directly to the National Security Department.

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16 billion filtered passwords in breach of massive data

Which airlines shared data and how the travel intelligence program works

In the center of the controversy is the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), a joint owned company of several of the largest airlines, including Delta, American Airlines and United. The main ARC business includes the management of ticket settlements between airlines and travel agencies. However, under a lesser -known initiative called Travel (TIP) intelligence program, ARC collects and monetizes large amounts of data from national flight reserves. Includes names, full itineraries and payment details.

Internal government records and recruitment documents reveal that customs and border protection (CBP), which is part of the National Security Department, has acquired access to ARC council data to keep track of people of interest to all the United States, while CBP maintains that these data support criminal and administrative research, critics argue that the agreement proposes the main privacy concerns.

The data is shared without the knowledge or consent of the travelers, and the ARC requested that the agency maintain its confidential identity unless it was legally obliged to disseminate it.

The documents confirm that the CBP’s initial contract with Arc began in June 2024. It has already been expanded and may continue until 2029. Although initial amounts seem modest, about $ 11,000 with a recent upgrade of $ 6,800, the implications are wide.

What is DHS of your flight reserves and why is it

The ARC travel intelligence program goes far beyond the basic manifestos of passengers. It includes more than a billion records that cover past and future trips, updated daily. The system can be consulted by name, credit card or even travel agency. It is important to note that it does not include data from the tickets purchased directly through the web site of the airlines, focused on the reserves made through travel agencies, as Expeded.

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The DHS has justified the use of tip data in an impact assessment of public privacy, emphasizing that the program helps in active research. CBP echoed this, saying that the data is only used when a case is already open. However, this establishes a dangerous precedent. It normalizes mass surveillance through third -party data purchases, undermining the guarantees designed to limit unnecessary intrusion.

This is not an isolated incident. Last month, immigration and customs application also recognized the purchase arc data. Other federal agencies appear in the contracting records include the Secret, Sec, DEA, TSA service and even the Air Force.

6 ways to protect your privacy from data runners

If you want to regain control of your personal information, here are six smart steps you can take right now to reduce your exposure to data runners.

1. Reserve flights directly on airline websites: Whenever you can, avoid using third -party travel sites such as Expensia, Orbitz or travel agencies. These platforms are the main sources of the data collected by the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) corporation through its travel intelligence program. When you reserve directly on the website or mobile application of an airline, your data is much less prone to sharing -archery or selling them to government agencies. Although it may be tempting to find offers in aggregate sites, once you find a fee you like, try to reserve it directly through the airline.

2. Use virtual or available credit cards: The ARC system allows queries by credit card number, which means that you can track your travel activity, even if your name is not directly sought. To protect you, consider the use of a virtual credit card or a disposable card number for flight reservations. They are often available through fintech bank or services such as Revolution, Privacy.com or certain American Express accounts. Virtual cards are linked to your main account, but they generate a temporary number that can only be used once or in a specific merchant. This makes runners much more difficult to link future reserves.

3. Share the minimum when reserving: Note the personal information you enter during the reservation process. Unless legally needed, avoid adding unnecessary details such as your frequent flyer number, passport data for national flights or side telephone numbers. You can also create a separate email address specifically for travel reserves to reduce the risk of reticulating data with other online accounts. When it comes to loyalty programs, consider opinion or use a separate identity if you are concerned that data is shared in companies.

4. Eliminate your Internet details: The most effective way to take control of your data and prevent data runners from sold is to opt for data removal services. While no service promises to delete all of your Internet data, having a delete service is excellent if you want to constantly control and automate the process of eliminating the information of hundreds of places continuously for a longer period of time. Check my best options for data removal and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already on the visiting website Cyberguy.com/delete

5. Use a browser and email service focused on privacy: Avoid monitoring the source through the privacy tools. Change to browsers such as Brave, Firefox or DuckDuckgo, which default ads and data collectors default. Set up a separate and safe email address for the reservation of travel through services. This limits the ease of runners can link your travel data to your online identity. Check my review of the best safe and private email services visiting Cyberguy.com/mail

6. Use an identity theft protection service: If travel or payment details are filtered or abused, freezing your credit can help prevent identity theft. Identity theft companies can help you freeze your bank accounts and credit cards to prevent more authorized use by criminals. They can also supervise personal information such as your Social Security number, telephone number and email address and alert -you are sold on the dark web or used to open an account.

One of the best parts of my selection number 1 is that it has an identity theft insurance up to a million dollars to cover loss and legal fees and a white glove fraud resolution team where a United States -based case manager helps you regain loss. Check my tips and the best options on how to protect -you are from the theft of visiting identity Cyberguy.com/identitytheft

Kurt’s Key Takeaway

The ARC incident is another example of federal agencies that exceed traditional legal channels by buying sensitive data from private companies. Travelers are not only passengers, they are data points in a growing ecosystem where information is currency. The fact that this trade took place without the informed consent and behind legal smokescreens should worry about anyone who is worth privacy.

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Would you change how you reserve the flights if it meant to protect your personal data? Do -us to know by writing -us to Cyberguy.com/contact

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