FAA compromise bill drops key drone privacy provisions

A Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that was passed by the Senate on Wednesday excludes key privacy provisions, including a requirement that commercial and government users of drones disclose whether they collect personally identifiable information.

The bill, which is a compromise short-term extension to ensure continued funding at current levels to the FAA, next goes to President Obama to be signed into law, two days before the current authorization is to expire. It was earlier passed by the House of Representatives.

But U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said the new bill, called the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016, was “a missed opportunity.” It does not include drone privacy provisions that he authored and were included in the Senate version of the FAA reauthorization bill that passed in April, the senator said in a statement. 

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here