JetBLEW it

derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
Staff member
JetBlue sued for disclosing passenger data
Tuesday September 23, 7:50 pm ET


LOS ANGELES, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Two groups of passengers have filed lawsuits against JetBlue Airways Corp in California and Utah (NasdaqNM:JBLU - News) for secretly giving the names of more than a million of its passengers to an anti-terrorism screening program.

Separately, an official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it would examine whether anyone at the agency had misused the customer records in the course of that project.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday in Salt Lake City, a group of five plaintiffs sued the low-cost airline for fraud, misrepresentation breach of contract and invasion of privacy and asked that the complaint be cleared as a class-action.

The Utah lawsuit asks for compensatory, but not punitive damages.

A second proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday charging JetBlue with violating the privacy of its passengers.

A representative of JetBlue was not immediately available to comment on the legal claims.

The pair of lawsuits were filed on the same day that The Electronic Privacy Information Center asked federal regulators to prosecute the airline for handing over the passenger data.

New York-based JetBlue said last week that it had violated its own privacy policy by giving information on 1.1 million customers to a U.S. Defense Department (News - Websites) contractor involved in an anti-terrorism project.

Torch Concepts, of Huntsville, Alabama, a data-mining company, used the names, addresses and flight information Jet Blue provided to produce a study intended to help the government assess potential terrorist threats.

JetBlue Chief Executive David Neeleman apologized to customers in an e-mail and the company said it had hired Deloitte & Touche to review its privacy policy.

"This is a good company. Mr. Neeleman has admitted that the company made a mistake," said Utah attorney James McConkie, who represents plaintiffs in the Salt Lake City lawsuit. "We want to fashion a fair and equitable relief."

Nuala O'Connor Kelly, chief privacy officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said she would investigate whether anyone at the agency misused customer records.

"My understanding at this point is there was virtually no involvement by any now-component of DHS. However, I am reserving judgment until I know all the facts and have done a thorough investigation of what employees and what transpired and what conversations were had, but most importantly, what data was held by what entity at what time," she said.

Stephen Yagman, a prominent Los Angeles civil rights lawyer, who is representing plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit could not be immediately reached for comment. (Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan in Washington)
 
hmmm, I wounder if they gave away my info? I wounder how I would find out? I booked a few flights with them so it is possible.
 
I don't see what the big deal is. I've flown them a lot in the past year, and I couldn't care less. I haven't committed any terrorist acts, so why should I be worried?
 
Can you get another link? I am very concerned about this. Maybe there is something in it for me
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I think the big issue is that whenever your private information changes hands, it slowly becomes a commodity, much like an email address and the poor usage of cookies.

If an airline knew that I liked to travel to LAX every winter, a third party like a hotel, auto rental agency or travel consolidator would highly value that information.

So about every November, I'd start recieving a bunch of telemarketer calls and junk mail about hotel specials, car rental deals and other stuff because they were able to use CRM software (client relationship management?) to determine my spending/travel habits.

If I had a travel product to sell, you bet your butt I'd be working on a deal with someone downstream of that data to capture that information.

Or if you purchased "The Anarchists Cookbook" on Amazon.com, then purchased an airline ticket with the same card, the government (or airline) may have access to that information and constantly set you aside for special screening or deny you boarding entirely under tha auspices of the CAPSII program.
 
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I don't see what the big deal is. I've flown them a lot in the past year, and I couldn't care less. I haven't committed any terrorist acts, so why should I be worried?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because this is America, and you have the right to some privacy!!!
 
My link was a joke - I am sure there is a class action suite in progress, and it would not be tough to get on the list.
 
Anytime you fill out a credit card app, enter a contest, take any survey, apply for a drivers licence, etc. your info is made public or sold to all kinds of companies. This is one reason we have so much identity theft and JetBlue is not unique in giving away info about their customers. This lawsuit is just another way for attorneys to make a buck and nothing more.
 
Actually, I don't apply for contests, select "OPT OUT" on credit card applications, or volunteer for surveys. I'm actually a firm believer in if data is going to be released to a third party, you absolutely unequivocably need to have the right to "opt out" only waiverable only by a judge during a criminal investigation.
 
Good point doug. Every time someone signs up for a credit card, signs up for the freetshirt at a game (for credit card), it gets recorded into your credit history.
 
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I don't see what the big deal is. I've flown them a lot in the past year, and I couldn't care less. I haven't committed any terrorist acts, so why should I be worried?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because this is America, and you're not supposed to have to deal with crap like that. Because what JetBlue did violated their own privacy policy. On top of that, some information on a particular passenger was available on the web for an extended period of time.

Yes, I know that Larry Ellison of Oracle said I have zero privacy. Yes, I know that I don't have much. And what little I have left, I would like to preserve.
 
I like how the federal gov't is trying to make sure the data didn't fall into the inappropriate hands. People, the data shouldn't be in ANYONE'S hands, federal gov't or otherwise. Everytime I read something else about the Homeland Security wackos, they look more and more like the Gestapo to me. Let's look at some interesting things about me:

I'm a huge WWII history buff, therefore I read a lot of books on Nazi Germany and often use my local library. Currently, the government can see what books you have checked out at the library. This probably puts me on their 'watch out for this guy' list. Next point, it is very hot and humid on the ramp in Florida, therefore I have my hair cut very, very, very short. Given the aforementioned reading and the hair style, you can probably see where I'm going here.....

So, it wouldn't surprise me if I was labeled some anarchist, Hitler worshipping goosestepper, put on the 'arrest this lunatic' list and denied boarding on any airliner. This is a prime example of how information can be twisted any way a paranoid government wants to. Nevermind the fact that I have passed a 10 year background check for my current airline job, they might still think I'm a threat. Oh yeah, then they will take my pilot's license, but I can always appeal to the same people that took my license...
 
I finished off the book "Frontsoldaten", spent an inordinate amount of time in the WW2 exhibit in Paris and recently visited the D-Day museum in New Orleans earlier this year, have a wife whose of German lineage so I'm probably on that same "list" myself!
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Can anyone please explain WHY there are THREE threads on this issue? For all press this is getting you would have though we commiting some terrible offense. Go find somebody else to pick on OK!
 
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