Digital rights group NOYB filed a complaint against Ryanair on Thursday, alleging that the airline is violating customers’ data protection rights by using facial recognition to verify their identity when booking through online travel agencies, reports Breaking News.
NOYB, led by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, lodged a complaint with the Spanish data protection agency on behalf of a complainant who had booked Ryanair flights through the Spanish online travel agency eDreams ODIGEO.
Europe’s largest Irish airline by passenger numbers has said on its website that it must verify the identity of passengers booking through travel agencies to meet safety and security requirements, as agents often fail to provide customers with contact and payment details, reports Breaking News.
Passengers can avoid face recognition verification by arriving at the airport at least two hours before departure, or by submitting a form and photo of their passport or ID card in advance, which can take up to seven days.
A similar process is not required when booking via the Ryanair website or mobile app.
“There is no reasonable justification for Ryanair to implement this system,” NOYB said in a statement. “Instead, it seems like the airline is willingly violating their customer’s right to data protection in order to obtain an unfair competitive advantage over alternative booking channels,” reports Breaking News.
Ryanair stated in response that the biometric and non-biometric processes are both fully compliant with all GDPR regulations.
“Online travel agents scrape Ryanair’s inventory and in many cases miss-sell our flights and ancillary services with hidden mark-ups and provide incorrect customer contact information / payment details,” the low cost carrier said in a statement, reports Breaking News.
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