While broadly supporting the FAA’s recently published Remote Identification (RID) final rule for drones, NBAA is expressing continuing concerns about privacy protections. Under the rule, RID information would not reveal personal identification data to the public but could disclose the location of the drone and drone operator, NBAA noted.
NBAA has advocated for shielding such information from the public while making it available to law enforcement along with other security and safety agencies. Such privacy protections benefit not only a company’s confidential business but also the consumer, the association added.
“The FAA hasn’t fully addressed any components of privacy and security raised by the community,” said NBAA director of air traffic services and infrastructure Heidi Williams. “The final rule is a great starting point for RID, but it introduces new concerns that need to be addressed.”
“For decades, NBAA has focused on protecting privacy and security for our community. We want to keep the door open for continued efforts to find a reasonable solution to privacy and security risks created by compliance with this rule,” added NBAA v-p of regulatory and international affairs Doug Carr.
Issued in late December, the RID rule applies to drones weighing more than 0.55 pounds. Manufacturers have 18 months to begin producing drones with RID and operators have another year after that to start using drones with RID.
