WestJet customers raise privacy concerns after ‘technical issue’ with airline app

WestJet mentioned it is investigating after a “technical challenge” with the airline’s app Wednesday afternoon allowed some customers to see the private information of different prospects.

A number of folks informed CBC Information they might see profile data of different customers which included cellphone numbers, residence addresses, dates of start, electronic mail addresses, WestJet greenback and flight voucher particulars, and in some instances, the final 4 digits of a consumer’s bank card quantity.

In an emailed assertion to CBC Information, a WestJet spokesperson mentioned at 3:53 pm MT, “a technical challenge was recognized that impacted visitor profiles on the WestJet App.” It added the challenge was resolved at 4:27 pm MT.

Nevertheless, Paul Baines, a WestJet app consumer who was in a position to see a number of profiles on the app, mentioned he believes the problem lasted an hour longer than WestJet indicated.

Baines, who’s from London, England, is visiting his accomplice Victoria Angus in Toronto. Angus mentioned she first seen the problem round 3 p.m. MT when she logged onto her app to verify flights to London.

“Once I went into my profile, the profile had some random particular person’s title,” Angus mentioned. She may see the particular person’s contact data together with a few of their bank card data. 

When she went to see her member data, Angus mentioned she noticed the private data of a second particular person.

“4 or 5 instances this was occurring that it was randomly placing in numerous profile data each time I refreshed the display.”

Baines mentioned when he seemed on the app, in some instances he may see the final 4 numbers of different customers’ bank cards and the title of the bank card firm, along with different personal information.

WestJet apologizes

“There was sufficient data that in case you had a nefarious actor, you possibly can have executed injury to folks’s information data,” he mentioned.

“This is a really severe information breach as regards to this information being out there.”

In its assertion, WestJet apologized to visitors for the disruption and mentioned it is investigating the problem.

“We take the privateness of our visitors extraordinarily significantly and can proceed to offer updates to our visitors as required,” WestJet mentioned. 

WestJet didn’t reply to CBC’s questions on how many individuals had been impacted by the technological glitch and what number of customers’ private data was shared.

Different WestJet app customers reported comparable experiences on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

Derek Bowen from Nanaimo, B.C., mentioned when he seemed on his app, he noticed the private contact data of two different customers, in addition to their journey banks, rewards banks and what journey vouchers that they had out there.

“It simply shocked me that I may truly get that data,” he mentioned.

Customers not happy with response

Baines, Angus and Bowen mentioned they instantly reached out to WestJet to report the problem after they found it, however had been disillusioned with the outcomes. 

Angus reached out on social media and bought an automatic response. She then referred to as the customer support line, the place she bought little data. 

“They’re like, ‘sure, we’re conscious of the the issue. We aren’t IT, so we do not know what to do. You understand, they’re fixing it.’ And that was just about it,” she mentioned.

Angus mentioned she pushed again with the airline, asking that somebody contact her to let her know if anybody noticed her private data.

“As a result of if I am accessing any individual else’s, doubtlessly  any individual’s accessing mine. I need to know what number of hits have been on my information.”

Baines tried contacting a expertise officer who works for WestJet by way of LinkedIn. He mentioned he defined the problem to the worker and was informed the airline was wanting into it.

In the meantime, Bowen mentioned he despatched the airline a direct message on Twitter, however he didn’t hear again.

“What’s truly struck me is that there is been no launch from WestJet on Twitter or on their web sites,” he mentioned.

Baines added: “We’re now ready of that information that has bought out from a safe surroundings. So do I belief utilizing this firm once more? I might say my belief within the firm has gone down.”