Concerns about cameras fitted to airplane seats have prompted two US senators to propose a bill to prevent in-flight entertainment with cameras -- and they've demanded that airlines clarify how the devices are used. Senator Jeff Merkley -- the Oregon Democrat who recently announced his decision not to run for presidency in 2020 -- and Republican John Kennedy, from Louisiana, wrote a bipartisan letter to several major American airlines requesting answers back in March.
They've now followed up the letter with proposed legislation which, they say, will "safeguard passengers' privacy in the air" and they're also pressing international carriers to disclose whether they've got cameras on their planes.
These actions are in response to CNN Travel reporting on the issue, after malware researcher Vitaly Kamluk tweeted Singapore Airlines when he spotted what appeared to be a camera lens built into an inflight entertainment (IFE) screen.
Singapore and other airlines contacted about the devices have denied using them to monitor passengers.
Tech experts, however, have questioned whether the cameras could be hacked.
IFE manufactuer Panasonic Avionics recently assured CNN Travel that these concerns are misplaced.
"While Americans have an expectation that they are monitored in airports as a necessary security measure, the notion that in-flight cameras may monitor passengers while they sleep, eat, or have private conversations is troubling," the senators' original letter read.
"Further, in light of data breaches that have impacted many major airlines, we have misgivings that cameras or sensors may not employ the necessary security measures to prevent them from being targeted by cybercriminals."
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