The airline Ryanair is visited by the Irish data protection commissioner. The investigation must clarify whether the ID checks carried out by Ryanair contradict the GDPR law.

The Irish data protection authority DPC announces an investigation into Ryanair. The authority says it has received several complaints about the verification process the airline uses for customers who purchased their tickets through an external platform such as price comparison sites or online travel agencies.

Of course, Ryanair prefers that customers buy their tickets directly from them. Anyone who uses an external platform must undergo an additional ID check. Ryanair makes no secret of its dislike of external ticketing platforms: CEO Michael O’Leary has repeatedly described such services as “piracy”. The company recently won a lawsuit against Booking.com for unlawfully extracting data from its website.

DPC will now investigate whether these ID checks are in line with GDPR legislation. Ryanair uses, among other things, biometric identification methods to determine the identity of customers. How Ryanair processes this data determines whether Ryanair is accused of a violation. The research will be international.

Ryanair definitely seems confident. “Customers booking through unapproved parties must go through a simple verification process that is fully GDPR compliant. This verification ensures that these passengers make the necessary safety declarations and promptly receive all legally required safety and regulatory protocols while traveling,” the company said via The Register.