EPIC v. DAC: Records Show FAA Drone Committee Ignored Privacy Risks

EPIC has obtained records from the FAA's Drone Advisory Committee confirming the committee ignored the privacy risks posed by the deployment of drones—even after identifying privacy as a top public concern. EPIC filed suit last year to enforce the transparency obligations of the industry-dominated Committee, which conducted much of its work in secret. The Committee told the Court that it had published all of its records, but EPIC's case forced the Committee to release hundreds of documents that it unlawfully withheld. The documents show that the Committee initially recognized the importance of regulating drone privacy risks and even planned to form a "Privacy Subcommittee." Yet the Committee entirely failed to address privacy issues before making final policy recommendations to the FAA. The case is EPIC v. Drone Advisory Committee, No. 18-833 (D.D.C.).