British Airways Will Use Google to Dig Up Dirt On You, Pre-Flight


While soaring high above the clouds sounds like a complete dream to many, taking the plane is not everyone’s favourite pastime, especially frequent flyers. And now those lucky individuals checking into business or first class with British Airways can expect a privacy invasion too. BA’s rolled out its ‘tailored’ service where it’ll actually Google you to create a dossier on each of its passengers.

While operating the “Know Me” programme is apparently in the best interest of customer service, British Airways has caused a bit of a stir among those who value their privacy. BA staff are set to Google images of passengers so they can identify them, check out their past flights, where they’ve been, whether they’ve asked for more vodka — that kind of thing. Much like Google itself, the purpose of the program is to hold a wealth of data of experiences that the customer has with the airline, and then to turn that into a more rewarding customer service. But unlike the search giant, BA’s approach sounds a bit, er, grim. I don’t think I’d want an airline, of all businesses, to be Googling my details on the internet; checking out photos of me, and keeping it all on file. That said, the service mostly applies to those with a big media profile, so you can rest easy if you’re just a regular Joe making the most of first class.

Either way, getting to sleep on a plane is already a pain in the arse — I’d rather not have this looming over my head too. [Evening Standard]

Image: Boeing 747/Shutterstock

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