Data Broker Co-Owned By Major Airlines Sold Passenger Data, Flight Records to DHS

A data broker quietly co-owned by airlines including Delta, American Airlines, and United Airlines has been selling bulk passenger-flight records to Customs and Border Protection under a 2024 contract that expressly bars the agency from disclosing the source, according to internal CBP documents obtained by 404 Media.

The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) sits at the center of airline ticket-settlement plumbing, and its board lists executives from Delta, Southwest, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, and several foreign carriers.

CBP’s deal pays ARC $11,025 for year one, with a $6,847.50 option now exercised and extensions running through 2029. The purchase justification states that ARC’s “Travel Intelligence Program” helps federal, state and local police trace “persons of interest” across domestic itineraries. 

The said program updates daily and already holds more than one billion ticket records covering 39 months of past-and-future travel. Agents can query by name, credit-card number or airline—even though the data comes only from ARC-accredited travel agencies such as Expedia, not direct airline bookings.

“The big airlines—through a shady data broker that they own called ARC—are selling the government bulk access to Americans’ sensitive information, revealing where they fly and the credit card they used,” Sen. Ron Wyden warned.

Privacy rights advocate Jake Laperruque calls the purchase “yet another alarming example of how the ‘Big Data Surveillance Complex’ is becoming the digital-age version of the military-industrial complex,” arguing the government is “buying its way around important guardrails.


Information for this story was found via Wired and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.

Video Articles

Tariffs Spark New Race for Critical Metals | Rob McEwen

Antimony Resources: The Bald Hill Project

They Laughed at $3,000 Gold, Now We’re Headed for $4,000! | Sean Roosen – Osisko Development Corp.

Recommended

Steadright Begins Preliminary Economic Assessment On TitanBeach Project

Three Miners Trapped Underground At Newmont’s Red Chris Mine

Related News

Record Day for the Dow, Surges 11.4% as $2 Trillion Dollar Stimulus Package Looms

The markets rejoiced today as the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased nearly 11.4%, the most...

Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 06:08:19 PM

American Airlines Struggles to Meet Surge in Travel Demand, Forced to Cancel Hundreds of Flights

American Airlines has announced it was forced to cancel hundreds of flights over the weekend...

Monday, June 21, 2021, 04:46:00 PM

$900BN Covid-19 Stimulus Bill: More Airline Bailouts and Corporate Meal Tax Breaks

Now that the much-anticipated coronavirus relief bill has finally been agreed upon by US lawmakers...

Tuesday, December 22, 2020, 10:49:00 AM

Canadian Federal Government Launches $740 Million for Airport Funding

Canada’s federal government is planning to launch a series of programs aimed at the country’s...

Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 04:42:55 PM

Trump’s Tariff Revenue Reaches $500 Million, Below Trump’s Claims

US Customs and Border Protection has collected approximately $500 million from President Donald Trump’s latest...

Saturday, April 19, 2025, 11:03:00 AM