Privacy group challenges Ryanair’s use of facial recognition
The digital rights group NOYB has lodged a complaint against Europe’s largest airline, Ryanair. The charge? Violation of customers’ data protection rights. This complaint emerged due to Ryanair’s use of facial recognition technology for identity verification when customers book flights through online travel agents.
The complaint was filed on behalf of a customer who booked a Ryanair flight through eDreams ODIGEO, a Spanish-based online travel agency. Ryanair defends its identification process by stating that it is a necessary measure to comply with safety and security requirements. They explain that travel agents often do not share customers’ contact and payment details with them, hence necessitating the need for identity verification.
The Irish airline does offer alternatives to facial recognition. Passengers can either show up at the airport two hours before departure or submit a form along with a picture of their passport or national ID card in advance. However, the latter process can take up to seven days to complete. Interestingly, this process is not required when booking directly through Ryanair’s website or mobile app.
NOYB, led by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, isn’t buying this explanation. They argue that Ryanair is willingly violating customers’ data protection rights to gain an unfair competitive advantage over alternative booking channels. Furthermore, they claim that Ryanair’s verification procedures are invalid under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as the company fails to provide clear information about the purpose of this “intrusive process”. Ryanair, on the other hand, insists that its biometric and non-biometric processes are fully compliant with all GDPR regulations.
Source: Privacy group challenges Ryanair’s use of facial recognition | Reuters
