Representative Shontel Brown Calls for GAO Investigation into DOT's Airline Passenger Data Protection
Representative Shontel Brown, a Democratic Representative from Ohio, along with U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, has formally requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Department of Transportation (DOT). The request stems from concerns regarding the DOT's alleged failure to protect commercial airline passenger data and its domestic regulatory obligations concerning travelers' privacy rights. The lawmakers assert that despite having the authority for over 40 years, the DOT has never taken a single privacy enforcement action, even after significant incidents exposed sensitive personal travel information of hundreds of millions of travelers. Specific concerns include unwarranted data access by the Airline Reporting Corporation, interagency coordination between the DOT and the Department of Justice regarding airline employees selling passenger data to the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the lack of public findings or enforcement actions from an industry-wide review launched in March 2024 into... 
