WASHINGTON, D.C. — The IRS accessed a massive database containing hundreds of millions of Americans’ airline travel records without obtaining a warrant, according to a bipartisan letter sent to major U.S. airlines and shared with 404 Media. Lawmakers say the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), a data broker co-owned by major carriers, has been selling government agencies access to individual travel itineraries, payment methods, and flight histories.
The letter, signed by Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Andy Biggs, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, and Sen. Cynthia Lummis, states that the IRS confirmed it purchased access to ARC’s records without conducting a legal review to determine if a warrant was required. The lawmakers are urging airlines to shut down the data-sharing program.
ARC collects booking information from more than 12,800 travel agencies and major platforms such as Kayak, Priceline, and credit-card travel portals. Agencies including the FBI, Secret Service, ATF, CBP, ICE, TSA, the SEC, and the State Department have reportedly used ARC’s Travel Intelligence Program, which allows searches by name, credit card number, airline, and other identifiers.
Because ARC only holds records booked through travel agencies, direct airline bookings require a subpoena or court order — but ARC’s database still covers roughly half of all U.S. tickets. Lawmakers argue the program creates a loophole allowing agencies to sidestep Fourth Amendment protections and raises antitrust concerns by incentivizing airlines to profit from third-party bookings.
ARC did not respond to requests for comment. The IRS acknowledged an inquiry but did not issue a statement before publication.
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