Updated March 5 at 9:40 a.m.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking public comment on the “multi-stakeholder process” it has been assigned to lead in developing privacy policies for commercial and private use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The agency, a branch of the Department of Commerce, released a draft request for comment on March 4 in advance of publishing it in the Federal Register.
On February 15, the White House issued a presidential memorandum signed by President Barack Obama providing privacy guidelines that federal agencies should follow in their use of UAS, more popularly known as drones. The memorandum also directed that NTIA establish a stakeholder process “to develop and communicate best practices for privacy, accountability, and transparency issues” for non-government drone users.
The White House issued the memorandum on the same day the Federal Aviation Administration released its long-delayed notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the commercial use of small drones weighing less than 55 pounds. The so-called small UAS draft rule was published in the Federal Register on February 23; public comments are due to the FAA by April 24.
NTIA’s notice should be published in the register this week, after which the public will have 45 days to submit comments. (The notice was published in the Federal Register on March 5; comments are due April 20.) The agency said it plans to assemble “industry, civil society, technical experts, academics and other stakeholders to craft best practices” that both protect privacy rights and promote the industry’s growth.
The stakeholder process intends to “promote transparent UAS operation by companies and individuals. Transparent operation can include identifying the entities that operate particular UAS, the purposes of UAS flights, and the data practices associated with UAS operations,” according to the draft notice. Privacy may be ensured through mechanisms such as “standardized physical markings or electronic identifiers” as well as “accountability mechanisms” for training and oversight of UAS pilots and rules companies and individuals should follow in handling the data drones collect.
“UAS have the potential to offer benefits in fields as diverse as urban infrastructure management, farming and disaster response,” said NTIA Administrator Lawrence Strickling. “This multi-stakeholder process aims to address privacy concerns with some potential uses of UAS while ensuring the United States maintains its leadership and promotes innovation in this growing industry.”