The IRS accessed a massive database of American flight records, including travel dates, locations, and credit card usage, without a warrant, according to a bipartisan letter to airlines. The data was obtained through the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), a data broker co-owned by the country’s top airlines. The letter, signed by lawmakers, states that the IRS did not follow federal law or its own policies when purchasing the data. In response, ARC announced plans to shut down the data-selling program after the report was published.
The report highlights a growing concern over government agencies accessing personal data without legal oversight. The lawmakers argue that the sale of travel information by ARC creates a loophole, allowing agencies to bypass traditional legal procedures such as warrants or court orders. The IRS case is the clearest example of this practice, as officials confirmed that they did not conduct a legal review to determine if the data purchase required a warrant.
Major airlines, including Delta, United, American, and Southwest, have been complicit in the data-sharing model, as they co-own ARC. This arrangement has enabled the government to access detailed personal information on a massive scale. The lawmakers are now urging the airlines to terminate the data-selling program, emphasizing that it violates constitutional protections and privacy rights.
ARC’s decision to shut down the program came after the report was published, but critics argue that the damage has already been done. The controversy has sparked a national debate on government surveillance, data privacy, and the role of private companies in facilitating such access. As the situation unfolds, the focus will be on how to balance national security concerns with the protection of individual freedoms.