Richard Ryan, UK drone lawyer, is calling on the Department for Transport (DfT) to halt the proposed implementation of Remote Identification (RID) regulations for drones. In a letter addressed to the Aviation Directorate, Ryan outlines significant concerns over the policy’s costs, security risks, and lack of a demonstrated safety benefit.
Ryan argues that the current proposal, which would require a wide range of drones—from professional platforms to hobbyist models—to be equipped with costly broadcast modules, is premature and disproportionate. He points to the rollout of a similar system in the United States, citing a U.S. Government Accountability Office report that found law enforcement lacks real-time access to pilot data and the FAA’s infrastructure for data access is incomplete.
- Unjustified Cost: The proposed regulations would impose significant costs on small operators and hobbyists, with compliant modules costing up to £300 per drone. Ryan is requesting a full Impact Assessment from the DfT to include realistic costing and secondary impacts.
- Privacy and Safety Risks: The broadcast nature of the proposed system could reveal a pilot’s location to anyone with a receiver, raising serious risks of harassment and theft. The letter stresses that any UK system must address who can receive this data and whether pilot location should be restricted to authorized authorities.
- Broad Scope: The regulations are set to apply to an extensive range of drones, including those under 250 grams with cameras and legacy models that cannot be economically upgraded. Ryan argues this broad scope is not a risk-based approach and would unduly burden recreational users.
- Lack of Proportionality: The letter suggests a staged, risk-based approach would be more appropriate, initially limiting the requirements to higher-risk operations in the Specific category.
Ryan is requesting that the DfT defer any statutory instrument until the necessary infrastructure and governance are in place. He also asks for a commitment to a public review 12 months post-implementation before any expansion of the regulations.
In order to help this along, Richard has created some helpful templates for drone operators, they are public domain for community use (not legal advice; pilots should personalise and adapt to their circumstances)
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