Google Buys Defunct Airline's Data Amid Flight Attendant Privacy Concerns

Google has purchased data from defunct airline Spirit Airlines for $10 million in an auction. The dataset includes information about the airline's employees, payroll records, tax forms, and millions of emails and documents stored on Microsoft platforms.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) has objected to the sale, citing concerns that deidentified employee data could still be reconstructed to identify individual flight attendants. The union is asking the court to block the sale or ensure that flight attendants receive similar protections as consumers.

Spirit Airlines shut down in May after 34 years in business, leaving behind 17,000 employees and canceled flights. A Google spokesperson said the data will not include personal information from customers but acknowledged that employee records and email content are included in the dataset.

A third party is responsible for deidentifying the data and certifying its compliance with applicable privacy laws. The next court hearing on the matter is scheduled for September 9.