Cathay Pacific confirms it films passengers during flights
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has revealed it is keeping a close eye on all passengers in the cabin through CCTV footage.
The airline recently updated its privacy policy revealing it is monitoring passengers onboard including their use of in-flight entertainment systems.
Images may also be captured of passengers using its airport lounges.
The airline insists no images or footage is being captured from cameras installed on new IFE systems.
The emergence of IFE screen cameras has caused a backlash over customer privacy, even though virtually every airline said they had no plans to use them.
"In line with standard practice and to protect our customers and frontline staff, there are CCTV cameras installed in our airport lounges and onboard aircraft (one, positioned near the cockpit door) for security purposes," it told TravelMole.
"All images are handled sensitively with strict access controls. There are no CCTV cameras installed in the lavatories.
"Our inflight entertainment systems do not have any cameras, microphones or sensors to monitor passengers, nor have they in the past."
But data can be retained for as long as is ‘commercially necessary,’ the policy says.
Other data collected by the airline could be hawked to third-party companies for marketing purposes, the policy says.
The airline updated its policy after a huge breach of customer data in late 2018 impacting more than nine million customers.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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