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ITIF, NAB Support Feinstein, Schumer Consumer Drone Safety Act

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and NAB support some of the Consumer Drone Safety Act introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The legislation “strikes the right balance by imposing meaningful guidelines on recreational use of…

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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” an NAB spokesman said in a written statement Thursday. “UAVs hold great potential in improving newsgathering capabilities at local stations.” Though ITIF Vice President Daniel Castro generally commended the legislation, he said Friday that its anti-tampering proposed requirements go too far. “UAS as we know them today were created due to a culture of innovation, in which amateur inventors and model aircraft hobbyists built and improved upon the technology organically,” Castro said of unmanned aircraft systems. “This bill would prohibit consumers from ‘jailbreaking’ their drones and put the brakes on permission-less innovation.” Castro proposed steep penalties be imposed on those who violate Federal Aviation Administration safety rules. “The Consumer Drone Safety Act is a small, but important, step forward,” he said. “Congress and the FAA should continue to look for opportunities to enable commercial UAS usage that is risk-based and technology-neutral,” he said. “By modernizing its FAA safety rules, the United States can promote innovation and remain competitive in the rapidly growing global market for drone technology.” Some have said the chances of Congress passing any comprehensive drone privacy legislation are low (see 1506180020).