Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
Google agrees to stronger privacy protections in Spirit Airlines data sale
Google plans to buy Spirit Airlines data for $10 million to use in training AI models.
Spirit stopped operating in May, and the sale is part of its bankruptcy liquidation.
The data includes emails, workplace messages and employee records, raising concerns that workers could be identified.
A union representing flight attendants pushed for stronger privacy safeguards before Google receives the data.
Under the revised deal, a third party will remove identifying details and check that people cannot be identified again; medical, investigation and labor-relations records are excluded.
Google must keep the data de-identified and cannot try to identify people, while the union says it will seek similar protections at other airlines.
A bankruptcy judge is expected to consider the deal next week, and Google can withdraw if the cleaning process removes more than 8 percent of the data.
Google agreed to stronger privacy protections for its planned $10 million purchase of data from defunct Spirit Airlines to train AI models.
The revised agreement requires an independent third party to de-identify the data and verify that it cannot be linked back to individuals.
Significant employee records, including health and medical information, will be excluded from the sale.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said it secured the revised protections.
A bankruptcy judge is expected to consider approval of the deal next week.
- Who
- Google and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents Spirit employees.
- What
- Google agreed to stronger privacy protections for its planned purchase of Spirit data to train AI models.
- When
- The agreement was reported on November 10 and 12, 2026. A judge is expected to consider approval next week.
- Where
- The data is from defunct Spirit Airlines. The bankruptcy proceeding’s location is not stated.
- Why
- The union sought stronger safeguards for employee privacy in the data sale.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Spirit representatives said the airline would sell decades of data to Google for $10 million, and Google won an auction for Spirit data.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said Google had agreed to additional privacy protections for the data sale.
A bankruptcy judge is expected to consider approval of the deal.
- Purchase price
- $10 million
- Data buyer
- Seller
- Defunct Spirit Airlines
- De-identification company
- Tonic AI
- Excluded records
- Employee health and medical information, among other sensitive data
- Judge’s decision
- Expected next week
2 sources
What people are saying
This is an issue for everyone.
We are not looking to buy any personal information from Spirit. The information will either be completely excluded or will be de-identified by an independent third party before Google receives any data.