The federal privacy commissioner has filed a lawsuit against Air Canada, claiming the airline is required to release records about unruly and disruptive passengers.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada claims that passengers have a right to know the information air carriers are collecting about them.
This case will pit the ability for a passenger to access their personal information versus the airline’s security measures.
I would side with the privacy commissioner’s argument and the right for people to have access to their personal information. But in this post-9/11 world, it’s anyone’s guess as to how a court would rule.
It’s probably going to depend on how strong an argument Air Canada makes on the security angle and the need to protect its other passengers.