Drone tracking and interception. Dji smh...

[Scijohn23]

Good evening everyone. So as I am learning more and more about our loosely regulated hobby. I came across an article about Aerospace ( A Dji tool ) being quietly deployed in some locations in America. Essentially this box sold by Dji is capable of identifying and tracking Dji drones and providing personal contact information about the pilots to whomever is operating Aerospace. Unbelievable, I am glad I did not purchase a Dji drone. This inspired me to google drone security and again was surprised by the amount of companies that are selling mitigation tools to protect ones airspace, up to and including taking full control over a drone and landing it at a site of their choosing. Everyone wants to regulate us (the responsible pilots) and this new industry emerging to fight drones gets a free pass essentially. I understand that there are some bad eggs that purchase drones and the newbies that just haven't felt the need to learn the law. But the risks of bad eggs on the other side of the fence is just as high. I mean whats to stop me from buying an interception system and then drive around stealing high end drones and reselling them online. With some of our drones costing into the thousands of dollars a bad egg could be a bad day if you know what I mean. One of the companies claimed to be able to detect and intercept a one pound uav from 3.5 KM. Another one, though expensive, could shoot down drones from 1,000 meters with a laser. I guess its the wild west in the skies for us.

 

[RPR]

Your phone alone can give google and other entities information of your daily activities, personal information on the daily.

I do wish that there are ways to ID of who’s flying out there, as I and many others, stick our name, FAA number and phone number on our sUAS. A lot of John Doe’s are flying recklessly, without proper authorizations, seeing of who’s in the sky is closer to having a safe flying environment. Or I could be wrong.

 

[Fred Garvin]

...... I mean whats to stop me from buying an interception system and then drive around stealing high end drones and reselling them online. ........

Moral choices? A sense of right from wrong? You’re not a criminal, are you?

That’s what would stop me. I’m not a criminal and I don’t steal things.

 

[Scijohn23]

Na, I'm not a criminal. Lol. I joined here to learn and abide by the rules! But, I felt that the point is a valid one as there are criminals out there. I would be open to equipping a transponder to my drone even though it is just a small mantis q that would allow for remote identification. It's just the same for us as with any other situation, crap goes downhill and we are at the bottom.

 

[AH-1G]

I look at this way, If you abide the FAA rules then you have nothing to worry about. I'm not going to get into politics for now, hmmmmm Demoncrates.

 

[Scijohn23]

I agree completely, the FAA rules are adequate. My issue lies with state and local laws being arbitrarily enacted.

 

[Data2225]

Good evening everyone. So as I am learning more and more about our loosely regulated hobby. I came across an article about Aerospace ( A Dji tool ) being quietly deployed in some locations in America. Essentially this box sold by Dji is capable of identifying and tracking Dji drones and providing personal contact information about the pilots to whomever is operating Aerospace. Unbelievable, I am glad I did not purchase a Dji drone. This inspired me to google drone security and again was surprised by the amount of companies that are selling mitigation tools to protect ones airspace, up to and including taking full control over a drone and landing it at a site of their choosing. Everyone wants to regulate us (the responsible pilots) and this new industry emerging to fight drones gets a free pass essentially. I understand that there are some bad eggs that purchase drones and the newbies that just haven't felt the need to learn the law. But the risks of bad eggs on the other side of the fence is just as high. I mean whats to stop me from buying an interception system and then drive around stealing high end drones and reselling them online. With some of our drones costing into the thousands of dollars a bad egg could be a bad day if you know what I mean. One of the companies claimed to be able to detect and intercept a one pound uav from 3.5 KM. Another one, though expensive, could shoot down drones from 1,000 meters with a laser. I guess its the wild west in the skies for us.

Those items would be highly illegal in the U.S.. What country are you in?

 

[Scijohn23]

I am in the US

 

[PatR]

Those items would be highly illegal in the U.S.. What country are you in?

You might find that what you think is illegal may not be. Unless a state provides for personal privacy of the people we do not have rights of privacy as our Constitution does not provide for it. What it does is provide protections against is illegal search and seizure. This is an area that is being continuously encroached upon by various public and private entities. Our government collects, reviews, and stores data from EVERY wireless transmission of texts and e-mails made within or that enter the U.S. This also occurs with phone calls between the U.S. and other countries. Read the fine print of the Patriot Act and its expansion through presidential executive orders for more detail.

As for the collection and dissemination of your personal data, a little research will find that you likely agreed to allow that to happen with any device, software, or social media site connected to any computer, phone, tablet or other device that can connect to the internet. That permission was obtained every time you clicked agree or accept in an end user license agreement, AKA EULA. It’s the poo up document few bother to read before clicking accept. You should already be aware you are being tracked by license plate readers on the highway, cell tower “spoofers” by law enforcement agencies, facial recognition cameras at shopping malls and city streets, credit card usage data collection by the IRS, and massive personal information and activity data collection by Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, or any other site that provides a “free” user service. There’s a reason the are “free” and it’s to entice people to use them to freely provide their user data that is collected and sold for advertising and other purposes.

As for DJI’s policy of collecting and sharing user data, this activity has been well noted by governments snd private individuals for a very long time. That DJI collects personal info, flight, and mission data that will be shared as they deem appropriate is also well known. Notification of that is well noted in the DJI EULA, which must be agreed to prior to using a DJI drone for the first time. Refusing to agree significantly restricts the functionality of their products. That is the reason some governments prohibit the use of DJI equipment on national infrastructure locations and activities, yet people continue to buy and use them.

China’s national intelligence laws require every Chinese based company to assist their intelligence agencies in collecting and sharing data with them that was obtained from any source. Because of those laws we should be aware and anticipate that any Chinese made drone or drone component that can link to the internet will collect and share data with the Chinese government or other foreign entity regardless of any statement they provide their customers to the contrary. Prior to the 520 Yuneec products were more or less separated from the internet, which insulated the users from data collection. Unfortunately Yuneec elected to implement an OTA firmware update process with the release of the 520 which threw the doors open to the exchange of user generated data.

 

[Data2225]

You might find that what to think is illegal may not be. Unless a state provides for personal privacy of the people we do not have rights of privacy as our Constitution does not provide for it. What it does is provide protections against illegal search and seizure. This is an area that is being continuously encroached upon by various public and private entities. Our government collects, reviews, and stores data from EVERY transmission of texts and e-mails made within or enter the U.S. this also occurs with phone calls between the U.s. and other countries. Read the fine print of the Patriot Act and its expansion through presidential executive orders for more detail.

As for the collection and dissemination of your personal data, a little research will find that you likely agreed to allow that to happen with any device, software, or social media site connected to any computer, phone, tablet or other device that can connect to the internet. That permission was obtained every time you clicked agree or accept in an end user license agreement, AKA EULA. It’s the document few bother to read before clicking accept. You should already be aware you are being tracked by license plate tracking cameras on the highway, facial recognition cameras at shopping malls and city streets, credit card usage data collection by the IRS, and massive personal information and activity data collection by Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, or any other site that provides a “free” user service. There’s a reason the are “free” and it’s to entice people to use them to freely provide their user data that is collected and sold for advertising and other purposes.

As for DJI’s policy of collecting and sharing user data, this activity has been well noted by governments snd private individuals for a very long time. That DJI collects personal info, flight, and mission data that will be shared as they deem appropriate is also well known. Notification of that is well noted in the DJI EULA, which must be agreed to prior to using a DJI drone for the first time. Refusing to agree significantly restricts the functionality of their products. That is the reason some governments prohibit the use of DJI equipment on national infrastructure locations and activities, yet people continue to buy and use them.

China’s national intelligence laws require every Chinese based company to assist their intelligence agencies in collecting and sharing data with them that was obtained from any source. Because of those laws we should be aware and anticipate that any Chinese made drone or drone component that can link to the internet will collect and share data with the Chinese government or other foreign entity regardless of any statement they provide their customers to the contrary. Prior to the 520 Yuneec products were more or less separated from the internet, which insulated the users from data collection. Unfortunately Yuneec elected to implement an OTA firmware update process with the release of the 520 which threw the doors open to the exchange of user generated data.

I am talking about the radio signal takeover and jam devices he was referring to.

 

[PatR]

I am talking about the radio signal takeover and jam devices he was referring to.

No longer illegal as the provision for such usage by defense agencies and LEA’s was granted in a national DHS/defense law signed by the President last year. That same law restored mandatory drone registration. The law completely bypassed the FAA.

 

[PatR]

I am talking about the radio signal takeover and jam devices he was referring to.

The quote included in your earlier e-mail highlighted data collection so my presumption of illegality related to data collection was well founded.

 

[Data2225]

No longer illegal as the provision for such usage by defense agencies and LEA’s was granted in a national DHS/defense law signed by the President last year. That same law restored mandatory drone registration. The law completely bypassed the FAA.

Defense agency, not consumers as he is referring to.

 

[PatR]

If and when someone encounters signal jamming I seriously doubt they will be able to determine the source until well after the fact, if at all. I can just see some wayward drone operator experiencing signal jamming and shouting at the top of their lungs; “Hey, do you have legal authority to do that?”, perhaps later discovering the entity was some obscure organization or LEA that was vaguely supported under the law.
As to what’s in place to prevent the common person from buying, building, and employing drone jamming technology? Pretty much nothing. Chinese companies were selling frequency jamming equipment over the internet years ago. A cease and desist order was issued last year by our FCC but do we KNOW such practices have ceased? Might they now be available under a new and different name? Can a private individual make one for themselves? They can be obtained and they can be built, while many are already in the hands of private individuals. Who is going to prevent them from being used? We might just as well ask who is enforcing previously existing FCC laws with any level of significance.

The time to have been complaining about drone jammers and legalities was before they had been fully developed. That horse has left the barn and we won’t gain anything trying to close the doors now.

 

[PatR]

Just an after thought but one i think worth mentioning. Those sworn to protect us are those that should concern us the most. Where technology is concerned they are generally the first to corrupt it.

 

[Data2225]

Hey scijohn23, what website did you see these available for purchase?

 

[dlsmooth80]

This is kinda what he’s talking about. Drone guns that either can jam a signal of a sUAV sending it to RTO or another signal that cuts it all the way sending it to the ground. There are several versions of it in the US . Check out the video: This 'Gun' Can Down Rogue Drones With the Pull of a Trigger | Digital Trends

 

[Data2225]

Yes I know about Droneshield, website even says not for sale in U.S. because they are illegal here!

DroneGun Tactical has not been authorized as required by the United States Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”). This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, in the United States, other than to the United States government, its agencies, and its properly delegated representatives, until such authorization is obtained. The use of DroneGun Tactical in the United States by other persons or entities, including, in certain circumstances, state or local government agencies, is prohibited by federal law. Laws limiting the availability of DroneGun Tactical to certain types of users may apply in other jurisdictions, and any sales will be conducted only in compliance with the applicable laws.

Unless you are DOD.

 

[JBibel]

I do believe that this shows that all UAV operators should be as involved as possible with there political representatives, clubs, forums and the like. If these items are sold they should also be registered and publicaly accessible by UAV operators. They should also be governed by law enforcement and/or the FAA.

 

[Flying eyeball]

Just an after thought but one i think worth mentioning. Those sworn to protect us are those that should concern us the most. Where technology is concerned they are generally the first to corrupt it.

Absolute power corrupts ,absolutely!