Airplane seat cameras: US senators demand answers

FRANCESCA STREET, CNN
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by FRANCESCA STREET, CNN
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Bad movies: Movie tickets aren't cheap, so it makes sense to be choosy. But settle back with your in-flight entertainment system and the corny rom-com, cheesy action flick and the so-bad-it's-really-very-bad "comedy" are all within tempting reach. But beware, your seatmate is judging you.

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