Senators urge FAA to allow remote tracking of drones

A bipartisan pair of senators on Monday called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to “swiftly publish” a proposed rule for remote identification of unmanned aircraft systems, otherwise known as drones.

Remote identification rules would enable the public, the FAA and law enforcement to identify and track drones and their operators in flight.

Sens. Ed MarkeyEdward (Ed) John MarkeyHillicon Valley: Facebook expects up to B FTC fine | DHS face scanning at airports sparks alarm | New Twitter tool targets election misinformation | Lawmakers want answers on Google ‘Sensorvault’ Dems accuse White House of caving to Trump’s ‘ego’ on Russian meddling The Hill’s Morning Report – Will Joe Biden’s unifying strategy work? MORE (D-Mass.) and John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneTelehealth is calling — will Congress pick up? GOP grows tired of being blindsided by Trump Hillicon Valley: Assange faces US charges after arrest | Trump says WikiLeaks ‘not my thing’ | Uber officially files to go public | Bezos challenges retail rivals on wages | Kremlin tightens its control over internet MORE (R-S.D.) said in a letter Monday to Transportation Secretary Elaine ChaoElaine Lan ChaoThe Hill’s Morning Report – Biden, Trump vie for Rust Belt voters Hillicon Valley: Trump meets Twitter CEO after slamming company | Kushner calls Russia probes more ‘harmful’ than election interference | Dem wants FTC to hold Zuckerberg ‘liable’ for data missteps | Sri Lanka faces tough questions over social media ban FAA approves drone delivery for Google spinoff Wing MORE that there have been several drone sightings in “safety-sensitive areas” in recent months that have “underscored the need to quickly adopt and implement remote identification.”

They pointed to drone sightings that have caused delays at London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports, as well as at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

They also noted that a drone flew over Fenway Park last week during a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

“Remote identification will enhance safety, security, and privacy, and serve as a critical tool for law enforcement to respond to and address reports of illegal and unauthorized drone operations,” Thune and Markey wrote in the letter.

Markey and Thune in their letter also requested that Chao provide them with a written response “detailing what steps must be taken between now and July 21 for the FAA to release” a proposed rule for remote identification.