A part of Homeland Security just bought the largest database of airline tickets in the world. Here are some tips from experts on how travelers can stay safe.
The majority of travelers are unaware that there is a travel agency. Airlines Reporting Corporation The majority of the information that they have provided has been passed through ARC, which is owned and operated by eight major U.S. Airlines. According to its website, ARC is “the largest, most comprehensive database of airline tickets worldwide.”
This database was just sold to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—a branch under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. This information includes the names of the passengers, their financial details and their flight itineraries. according to 404 Media.
According to the Federal Procurement Data SystemARC signed a deal that will give U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, (ICE), access to its Travel Intelligence Program Database (TIP), through the end of May 2028. An ARC representative said the TIP was “created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to provide certain data … to law enforcement.” GovTribe is a software which tracks federal and state contracting. estimates that this contract is worth $776,750.
The Lever and 404 Media obtained documents stating that ICE could search the database by using names or credit card numbers of a “traveler/target.” They will be able to access “full flight schedules, passenger records, and financial information, which is otherwise difficult or even impossible to obtain.”
Travel + Leisure ICE responded to questions from the Department of Homeland Security. ICE had not yet responded at the time of publication.
“I have never seen government access to ARC—or even ARC itself—mentioned in an airline privacy policy or a travel agency policy,” travel data privacy expert Edward Hasbrouck told The Lever.
ARC is owned and run by eight major airlinesDelta Air Lines (DAL), Southwest Airlines (SWA), United Airlines (UAL), American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (ALK), Lufthansa and Air France. ARC’s website states that its database contains 54 percent of global flights. The data is collected from accredited travel agents and direct from airlines.
T+L reached all eight airlines. Alaska Airlines referred to the ARC to get a response; the seven other carriers had not responded to questions as of the publication date.
Joshua McKenty – former NASA chief cloud architect and founder of PolyguardT+L reported that.
What travellers need to know
McKenty suggested that travelers, particularly foreigners visiting the United States should buy their flights. He added that immigration lawyers, and other people involved in the refugee processing should not purchase tickets for their clientele. If they do, then their data could be merged in the eyes the DHS.
This data purchase occurs in parallel with the Real ID mandateIncrease in facial recognition programs Changes in privacy of travel data at airports and other places
McKenty explained that “the scariest part of the biometrics system is what travellers don’t think or notice.”
There is no guarantee for those who do not reside in the United States that their photos will be deleted. The truth is, according to Customs and Border Protection documents“All biometrics are in scope [noncitizen] Travelers are sent to IDENT/HART via encounters, and they are retained in the database for up to 75 years, supporting immigration, border management and law enforcement.” Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology (HART) is a DHS database of biometric identities.
The Government Accountability Office raised concerns last month about HART. a letter A letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi N. Noem urging her to take urgent measures to reduce privacy risks. A GAO report HART is not intended to be used for surveillance.
Privacy experts also express concerns over the DHS collection of immigrants’ data, which includes its storage. children’s DNA in a criminal database.
Privacy is a right of the human being, as enshrined in Article 12 the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. McKenty warns that the government’s policies are changing and the privacy rights of travelers are being adapted to the administration. McKenty suggests that travelers are aware of their travel rights, and those they do not have.
McKenty argued that it was wrong to violate privacy in order to search for things that the government deems suspicious. “We have safeguards against this behavior as it relates to government overreach in all other aspects.”
