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Chris Moore, CEO of Gogo explains why privacy is not a given, even at 40,000 feet, and why passengers should be querying the use of their data.
Last weekend, the weather was unseasonably fine. So we loaded the family into the car and went down to the ocean. We stayed in a little bed and breakfast place, ate a picnic on the beach Sunday, then drove home. We got back later than expected and the children were tired for school next day, but we had the best time.
Even if that scenario were real, you, the reader, don’t need to know about it. You don’t need to know that the family drove, where they stayed, where they went or that they have children of school age. Now imagine they posted photos and video about the trip on social media, they had apps on their devices that tracked their location and the websites they visited, and they went on a boat excursion and for that the parents entered bank account information into an online booking form - they used the free Wi-Fi in a coffee shop to do it.
All that activity left a comprehensive digital footprint. To the app developers, social media sites, boat operator, their service provider, and anyone monitoring the unencrypted coffee shop Wi-Fi traffic with malicious intent, the trip is not private. All those entities have gathered data on the family, private data which, in most cases, they did not need to know. And remember that in some cases an app doesn’t need to be used to generate data, simply having the device switched on is enough, while a connected cellular device leaves a trace every time it ‘pings’ a tower.
There is a close link between internet privacy and cybersecurity, with breaches or laxity in the former frequently enabling bad actors to exploit the latter. Internet privacy is not just about your data, who collects it, and what they use it for; it is also about protecting yourself from cyberattacks.
Data generated aboard an aircraft at 40,000 feet is equally plentiful and easily collected by parties that, in many cases, need not and should not collect it. This is why Gogo not only advises and supports business aviation operators in employing robust cybersecurity policies but also treats our customer data with the respect it deserves.
We all know that data is extremely valuable. At Gogo, we monitor data behavior and look for anomalies that suggest a compromise. We know that understanding how a customer uses their connectivity can help us tailor future solutions, but we don’t use the data for any other purpose, and certainly not as raw material for the development of other products, or to feed our, or others, AI engines.
A CEO, HNWI, or senior government official using an aircraft connectivity system from which a provider collects data is unwittingly feeding important, private information to that entity. There really might as well be a connected avatar sitting in the cabin taking notes as the human passengers write messages, check emails, conduct video calls, handle trades, and read contracts… it is difficult to picture, but when privacy is not protected, that avatar really might just as well be there collecting notes and amassing information.
Data generated by and on board an aircraft can reveal information about flight activity, connectivity usage, location, and onboard behavior, which is why Gogo considers privacy a significant factor in the trusting relationship it nurtures with its customers. As a service provider, Gogo must collect critical data from its customers’ systems to ensure security and operational efficiency, but it does so transparently. Customers know what data is being collected, why, and what happens to it.
A somewhat sobering anecdote powerfully illustrates both the importance of privacy and how little we think about it. A private aircraft owner I once spoke with had just landed after a quiet cross-country flight with no phone calls, no emails sent, no obvious digital trail. Yet within hours, adverts began appearing on his tablet for hotels near his destination, ground transport services he hadn’t searched for, and even a regional event happening the same weekend.
He laughed it off at first. A coincidence, maybe. But then he asked a question that stuck with him and, frankly, should stick with all of us: ‘How did anyone know I was there at all?’ At 40,000 feet, it’s easy to believe your aircraft is an island, self-contained, disconnected, and private by default. But modern connectivity has changed that reality. Your aircraft generates data constantly and that data doesn’t simply vanish once the wheels touch down. It is important for users to challenge providers about how data that is transmitted is used. We tell people the real connectivity question isn’t ‘what can my connectivity do, who can I connect with?’ It’s ‘who else is sitting with you in the cabin, beyond your fellow passengers?’
At Gogo we encourage our customers to ask questions about their data. How and where is data stored? How long does it remain stored? Who has access to it after the flight and what do they use it for? If a service provider cannot or will not answer these questions satisfactorily, or embraces a policy contrary to their resolution, then it may not be properly upholding its customers’ expectation of privacy.
BlueSky Business Aviation News | 14th May 2026 | Issue #842
