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What Next: TBD | Airlines Are Selling Your Data to the Government

Slate News

Slate Podcasts

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.66K Ratings

🗓️ 22 June 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

ARC, the data broker owned by the country’s major airlines, has been selling domestic flight data in the US to Customs and Border Protection. But in the contract, they told CBP not to reveal where the data was from… why?  Guest: Joseph Cox, co-founder of 404 Media and the co-host of the 404 Media Podcast.  Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to the year 2000.

0:02.0

Everyone, everywhere is having fun, except me.

0:06.0

On BBC Eye Player.

0:08.0

I worry you're growing up too fast.

0:10.0

Yeah, we can't be your little duck here forever, can I?

0:13.0

Inspired by a true story.

0:15.0

You walk out this house a boy, one day you'll come back.

0:17.0

When you do, you will be a man.

0:20.0

Oh, and hold your breath. What it feels like

0:22.4

for a girl. I wish I could look like you. Bebe, you can. Why don't you? Watch on BBC IPlayer.

0:30.2

This episode is brought to you by Indeed. Struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites.

0:36.6

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0:40.4

Your post jumps to the top of search results, reaching the candidates you need.

0:44.2

Plus, there are no monthly subscriptions, no long-term contracts, and you only pay for results.

0:48.5

Speed up your hiring today with a £100-pound sponsored job credit at Indeed.com slash SPANUK. Terms and conditions apply.

1:02.8

In a few weeks, I'm going to get on a plane with my family. We'll take some time to see

1:07.5

grandparents, go on a little vacation and have some beach time.

1:11.9

And I know that when I get on that flight, the airline will have a lot of information about me.

1:18.3

And so will TSA. That makes sense. But according to Joseph Cox at 404 Media, my information could also be sold to Customs and Border Protection.

1:28.3

So what we found through records that we've requested through DHS, Customs and Border Protection, and other agencies as well,

1:37.3

is that various parts of the U.S. government are buying access to people's flight itineries from a data broker, essentially,

1:47.0

actually owned by the country's major airlines.

...

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