EPIC to FAA: Mandate Drones Broadcast ID and Location, Course

In response to Federal Aviation Administration request for comments regarding drone security and drones flying over people, EPIC urged the agency to mandate cybersecurity safeguards and privacy protections for populated areas subject to aerial surveillance. EPIC repeated the earlier recommendation that the agency require drones to broadcast identifying information, location, course, purpose, and surveillance capabilities. Earlier this year, Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) stated, "Privacy cannot be an afterthought as the FAA seeks to make it easier and safer for commercial drones to take flight." Starting with a 2012 petition, EPIC has recommended that the FAA establish drone privacy regulations and to ensure that drones broadcast ID.