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aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
SEPTEMBER 2019
“ With every security
breach, fresh questions
are raised”
This past year has brought us many
illustrations of this conflicting dynamic
in aviation. Major data breaches at British
Airways and Cathay Pacific, among other
aviation cybersecurity threats, made global
headlines. Programmes for biometric
identification at flight check-in and border
crossings have advanced and have
generally been welcomed. But with every
security breach, fresh questions are raised.
There was uproar over cameras in
seatback IFE monitors this year, after
a Singapore Airlines passenger noticed
a camera on his IFE screen and shared
a picture of it on Twitter. The airline
responded by stating that while the
original equipment manufacturer of the
IFE displays embedded a camera in the
hardware, the cameras have been disabled
and there are no plans to develop any
features that use the cameras. However,
while passenger concerns seemed
unfounded, they were no less persistent.
“I think the reason why customers
were concerned was because they found it
hard to believe that the airline would have
a seat camera that was not in use,” states
Dr Joe Leader, CEO of the Airline
Passenger Experience Association
(APEX). “When Singapore Airlines and
American Airlines told the truth – that
they did not use the cameras and had no
intention of using them – it did not
resonate well with the general public.”
But was it wise to have cameras
installed in this equipment, even if they
weren’t activated?
“They are there to make sure that we
are not blinded in the future; when our
friends at Apple on the iPhone, or Google
US SENATORS INTRODUCE
ANTI-SPYING BILL FOR IFE
Oregon’s Senator Jeff
Merkley (pictured far right)
and Senator John Kennedy
(right) have announced the
introduction of bipartisan
legislation that would
safeguard passengers’ privacy in the air by
amending title 49 of the United States Code,
to prohibit aircraft from having cameras and
microphones in the cabin that can monitor
passengers. The Passenger Privacy Protection
Act of 2019 would prohibit airlines from
having cameras or microphones embedded in
IFE systems on any of their aircraft, requiring
such technology to be either removed,
permanently disabled and covered, or covered
in a fashion that prevents the camera from
making any observation.
“Americans have their personal space
invaded enough already when they fly,” said
Merkley. “The last thing passengers need to
worry about is the idea that
airlines or hackers may be
spying on them while they
eat their pretzels. It’s time
to protect Americans’ privacy
and get rid of hidden cameras
and microphones on airplanes.”
“The need for airport security is
understandable, but we need to make sure
we’re not trampling on peoples’ privacy,” said
Kennedy. “It’s one thing to walk through a
metal detector and have your bags searched.
It’s quite another thing to be secretly spied
on while you’re having a private conversation.
We shouldn’t take security to absurd levels.”
Merkley and Kennedy also pressed
16 major international carriers for more
information about the current and potential
uses of these systems, how passengers are
informed of uses, and security measures in
place to prevent data breaches.
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com