Delta Sued By California Over Privacy Law Violations

Delta Airlines has been sued by the state of California due to Internet privacy law violations. Specifically, the airline has failed to detail what personal data its mobile app collects from users and how it proceeds in using that information. As a result, Delta could be hit with fines as high as $2,500 per violation, plus its app could be blocked.

On October 30, we reported that Delta, along with OpenTable and United Continental, were notified via letter from California's Attorney General Kamala Harris that the company's mobile app had an inaccessible privacy policy, something that violated state law. Delta was given 30 days to make the privacy policy accessible, or it would face fines. Delta responded to the issue, saying that it would comply.

Now 30 days have come and gone, and it seems that if Delta did tweak its mobile privacy policy in response, it did not do so according to state law. Attorney General Harris's office has issued an email statement detailing the information collected by Delta's app, which includes email addresses, names, phone numbers, and more. If Delta is found to be in violation of the law, it could end up having to shell out $2,500 per app download.

The lawsuit was filed in San Francisco, and is in reference to California's Online Privacy Protection Act. Under the law, Internet-based services that collect user data, such as names and addresses, are required to have an easily accessible privacy policy that details what information is gathered and how that information is used. Thus far, Delta's mobile privacy policy has not met these requirements. The airline hasn't responded to the issue yet.

[via Bloomberg]