The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has come under fire for accessing a vast repository of American travel records without a warrant, according to a letter signed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and shared with 404 Media. The report reveals that the IRS purchased detailed travel data from the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), a data broker co-owned by major airlines such as Delta, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Southwest. This data includes flight details, locations, and credit card information. Lawmakers argue that the IRS did not follow federal law or its own policies in acquiring the data, and are urging the airlines to cease their partnership with ARC.
The incident has sparked a significant debate about data privacy and government overreach. The lawmakers’ letter, which was addressed to the nine major airlines, highlights the lack of legal oversight in how government agencies access personal data. According to the letter, the IRS confirmed that it did not conduct a legal review to determine if the purchase of Americans’ travel data required a warrant. This raises serious concerns about the protection of personal privacy and the use of commercially available data for law enforcement purposes.
Update: After the news broke, the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) announced that it had already planned to shut down the data-selling program. This move by ARC has been seen as a response to public and political pressure. However, the incident has already raised significant questions about the relationship between private data brokers and government agencies. As the debate continues, lawmakers are calling for comprehensive reform to ensure that the use of such data is transparent, legal, and respectful of individual privacy rights.