Google agrees to addition privacy protections in Spirit Airlines data sale

Alphabet's Google has reached an agreement to implement additional privacy safeguards in the acquisition of employee data from the bankrupt Spirit Airlines, according to a union representing the workers. This approval would pave the way for Google's $10 million deal to purchase the data next week, which will be used to train AI models.

The union secured a more stringent de-identification process than initially anticipated and ensured that sensitive employee data, such as health and medical information, will be excluded from the sale.

The data acquisition is part of Spirit's closure and asset liquidation process. In August, Google won an auction for data from emails, spreadsheets, and calendars, as well as marketing, productivity, and operational records. Spirit Airlines ceased operations in May, and a bankruptcy judge is now poised to approve the deal next week.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing the affected employees, expressed satisfaction with the additional privacy protections. The data will undergo review by an independent verification agent selected in consultation with the unions. Google is prohibited from attempting to re-identify the data and must process it securely and treat it as confidential.

Recently, about 120 lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Steven Horsford, raised concerns about the data sale. The privacy ombudsman recommended approval of the deal last month, excluding passenger personal information from 97 million Spirit customers. The lawmakers expressed concerns that the sale would encompass 100 million emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams messages, and other employee records.

Google, which had previously stated it had no intention of acquiring personal information, reiterated that the data will either be excluded or de-identified by an independent third party before Google receives it.