Former spirit airlines flight attendants challenge google's data purchase in bankruptcy case

Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, is facing legal opposition from former flight attendants after Google won a $10 million bid to acquire its data. The data includes over 1 million time-card records, 175,000 employee records, and 500 million Microsoft Teams records. Google claims the data will help improve its AI models, but it has confirmed it will not receive personal customer information. The sale, which beat a competing $7.5 million offer from Mercor, is now under review by a judge. The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), representing 5,500 former employees, has objected to the sale, arguing that the data includes sensitive employee information and that even Google’s safeguards may not prevent privacy violations. Sara Nelson, president of the AFA, called the sale 'outrageous.' Legal experts note that this case highlights a gap in data protection laws for workers compared to consumers. The AFA argues that deidentifying employee data does not equate to confidentiality, as AI can easily relink private information across datasets. The court has delayed a hearing on the data sale until September 9. One former flight attendant described the sale as 'troubling,' noting that the data includes deeply personal and medical information shared during employment. The union also seeks $68 million in unpaid wages as part of its intervention in the bankruptcy case. Legal scholars warn that if the sale proceeds without restrictions, there will be no protection for employees' data in the AI industry.