Flight Attendants Object to Google's Acquisition of Spirit Airlines Employee Data

Last Friday, Google successfully bid to obtain Spirit Airlines' nearly finalized employment and workplace records. This dataset does not contain any personal or customer information, and the tech company has consented to have a court-appointed ombudsman eliminate any identifying details prior to the transfer. As part of the agreement, Google is required to maintain the data in a de-identified state, refrain from re-identifying it, and ensure that third parties adhere to the same conditions. Former flight attendants have expressed concerns, fearing that Google may not adequately protect confidential employee information. In a court submission on Tuesday, the Association of Flight Attendants contended that Google's consumer protection measures do not extend to workforce confidentiality, cautioning that the transaction's privacy framework is primarily consumer-oriented while disproportionately affecting employees.