JetBlue 'Data Rape' Scandal: Privacy of 5 million passengers violated - A class-action lawsuit waiting to happen?
Don'tSpyOnUs.us
In September of 2002, JetBlue Airways secretly gave the Transportation Security Administration the full travel records of 5 million JetBlue customers. This sensitive travel data was then turned-over to a private security contractor for analysis, the results of which were presented at a security conference earlier this year and then posted on the Internet.
Anyone who flew JetBlue on or before September of 2002 should assume that all information given by them to JetBlue, including credit card numbers, is in the possession of both the TSA and Torch Concepts. Furthermore, Torch Concepts (now doing business as Torch Technologies obtained the Social Security number, date of birth, and associated credit histories of many of the 5 million passengers in the JetBlue database. Some of this information, including SSNs, was posted by Torch Concepts to the Internet. The document was freely available for download on the Internet for over six months and was taken down on the 17th of September, 2003. The full document is available for download here.
The 5 million JetBlue records handed over to TSA appear to have been used to test off-the-shelf technologies to improve aviation security. These tests occurred prior to the formal announcement of CAPPS II, but it is obvious from the Torch Concepts presentation that a CAPPS II-like system was the goal.
Denials.
In his September 15th 2003 interview with Wired, TSA spokesman Brian Turmail said that "to date CAPPS II had not been tested on any historical travel data". Turmail also said that "currently only fake passenger data was being used".
JetBlue President and CEO stated in an email that "No JetBlue customer information has been shared with the US Government with respect to testing the CAPPS II program currently under design."
JetBlue and TSA are being economical with the truth. JetBlue data on 5 million real passengers was used by TSA subcontractor Torch Concepts in 2002 to test a computer-automated passenger profiling system.
Torch Concepts took the JetBlue passenger data and obtained as much personal information on individual passengers as was possible, including credit histories, SSNs, income, home ownership, driving record, and other details. This information was then used in an attempt to determine whether or not security risks could be ascertained.
Torch Concepts CEO Bill Roark presented the findings of their work on the 25th of February, 2003 at a conference organized by the Tennessee Valley chapter of the National Defense Industries Association. It is not known what report Torch Concepts filed with TSA.
TSA spokesman Brian Turnmail should stop treating the American people as if they were less intelligent than the seasonal fruits and vegetables he used to peddle. The 5 million JetBlue passengers whose rights were violated deserve to know the truth.
JetBlue's CEO David Neeleman has a lot of explaining to do. He needs to stop hiding behind legalistic phrases like "currently under design" and tell his customers exactly what his airline did with his customer's private information.
As he is not is not being truly honest about the 5 million passenger records his airline gave up to the Feds, why should we believe him when he says he is not collaborating in CAPPS II? |
