More than 120 U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns about Alphabet’s Google unit acquiring data from defunct Spirit Airlines to train its artificial intelligence models. The proposed deal is worth $10 million and is part of Spirit’s asset liquidation after it halted operations in May.
The data includes 100 million employee emails and 500 million Microsoft Teams messages. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Steven Horsford are leading lawmakers’ concerns about potential risks to worker privacy.
Google says it will work with an independent third party to exclude or de-identify personal data before any transfer. A U.S. bankruptcy judge is scheduled to hear the case on October 14. A privacy ombudsman has recommended approval if passenger information is excluded.