Skift Take
Travelers already sweat the safety issues inherent in congested airspace, and the planned introduction of unmanned aircraft, some of which are prone to jamming of their GPS, will only heighten concerns.
The FAA is moving ahead with plans to facilitate a vast expansion of the domestic use of drones amidst acute concerns about privacy and aviation security.
The FAA has called on universities, state and local governments, and other public entities to submit proposals to create six research and test sites for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) around the country.
At the same time, the FAA kicked off a 60-day public comment period into the privacy issues raised by this pilot UAS program, while the U.S. Government Accountability Office recently cited fears about increased high-tech surveillance, violations of the Fourth Amendment's prohibitions against unlawful searches and seizures, and the harm to aviation safety given the potential for GPS "spoofing."
The stakes are high in the privacy debate, given past cases of negligence by government contractors handling sensitive, personal information, and the potential for abuse.
The U.S. government realizes that it has to confront the issues
