United Airlines and Delta confirm that their Premium Economy screens are equipped with cameras

Following the concerns of Singapore Airlines and American Airlines passengers regarding the privacy of hidden cameras on the seat back entertainment screens, United Airlines and Delta have confirmed to BuzzFeed News that some of their screens are also equipped with # 39; camera lenses. The screens with integrated cameras are in the premium economy class of the airlines, available on some international routes.

United and Delta both said the cameras had been integrated by entertainment system manufacturer, Panasonic, and were not active. A spokesman for United, told BuzzFeed News that cameras are "a standard feature that system manufacturers have included for future goals such as videoconferencing" and that the airline "does not plan to use them at # 39; future. "

Although videoconferencing is not available on United flights, this feature is currently used on some Emirates flights with on-board entertainment systems for first class passengers.

In a statement, Delta said its cameras "are not functional" and that the company "does not plan to install the necessary software to use them".

Last week, American Airlines told BuzzFeed News that the cameras had been integrated for future uses "such as hand gestures to control in-flight entertainment," but "have never been activated and American n & # Does not consider using them.

Although airlines insist that optical equipment not spy on passengers, stickers or camera guards could ease customer privacy concerns.

If they are hacked or used for surveillance, the camera shackles of the seat would probably capture your sleep in uncomfortable position or by eating snacks while watching a movie. Some travelers, however, have stated that in a world where their actions and location are already permanently monitored and sold to third parties, they are eliminating the possibility of being monitored on a flight. In October 2018, the Transportation Security Administration touted plans to integrate more biometric technology at airports, including face recognition, in partnership with the United States Customs and Border Protection.

"Am I waiting for the privacy of an airplane to be the same as my home, of course not." Still want to be guarded if possible, "said a Twitter user @dacoolx.

Another user, @skyrme_katrin, said: "Or at least, informed of the existence of such cameras." Before the passengers noticed the cameras, the airlines had not revealed them.