Flight Attendants Challenge Google's $10M Spirit Data Deal Over Worker Privacy Gaps
Google has won a bankruptcy auction to acquire Spirit Airlines' internal enterprise data for $10 million, intending to use it to train AI models. While the dataset excludes consumer records, it includes approximately 100 million employee emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams chats, and HR records. The Association of Flight Attants (AFA) has filed an objection, arguing that while consumer data is protected, worker confidentiality is not adequately addressed by the de-identification process. A federal judge must still approve the sale, with Mercor Corporation serving as the backup bidder at $7.5 million.