US Transportation Department ends airline data privacy review without penalties

The US Department of Transportation has finished a review of passenger data privacy practices at the ten largest US airlines, according to a department memorandum dated 4 September. It found no violations of applicable law or departmental policies, and ends with no financial or regulatory penalties for the carriers.

Then transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg opened the inquiry in March 2024 to examine how US airlines collect, manage and use travellers' personal information.

Senator Ron Wyden, who has pressed the department on privacy issues, criticised the decision. He said the department treats having a privacy policy and training as sufficient despite what he described as clear evidence of privacy abuses. Legislators who say passenger information has been mishandled also objected to the closure.

The memorandum gave no details of the individual airline practices examined.