While 73 million customers of the largest phone service provider in the US were affected by a massive data leak this week, concerns about the safety of personal data online are understandable given the ease with which airlines can obtain some of their most sensitive customer information, according to a recent in-depth analysis by a portal that specializes in online security. And that’s on top of the biometric information and passport numbers they currently have on file.
Experienced travellers who purchase their aircraft tickets online frequently ponder whether using a computer is the best choice since they fear that airlines will raise prices if they identify a passenger’s IP address and buy their tickets repeatedly. However, thorough research by Cybernews indicates that given the access to data that carriers have, utilizing your smartphone isn’t a better alternative. Furthermore, these corporations frequently already possess access to biometric data, health information, and passport numbers.
According to this study, airlines have access to reams of different types of private and crucial information, such as geolocation, access to the camera and all the information it contains, microphones, address books, SMS messages, data storage and collection, and more. These details reveal a great deal about any given traveller. The authors of this study examined 14 airlines, including AirAsia, Turkish Airlines, Ryanair, United Airlines, Aegean Airlines, and Vietnam Airlines, that had booking apps compatible with Android devices.
Philippine Airlines gathered the least amount of data out of the 14 airlines, but United and American Airlines, both based in the US, were found to be the most data-hungry. Furthermore, according to Cybernews, carriers share this private information with third parties in addition to having access to it.
It might make sense for a travel agency to pinpoint the precise location of prospective ticket purchasers since they need to adjust their offerings to suit the passengers’ preferences and give them access to exclusive deals on things like vehicle rentals.
“However, apps requesting access to a precise location can track users’ movements and provide a detailed picture of daily routines, revealing their home and workplace, which can potentially compromise users’ privacy and security if the data falls into the wrong hands,” states the website that specializes in news about online security.
The fact that certain airlines lack transparency in this area and fail to inform mobile users that they gather this kind of data is what worries us the most. This applies to FlyDelta, Aegean Airlines, and Ryanair, according to the report.
