I can go up in a private plane or helicopter and no need for a transponder to provide data on my position. Curious that this "feature" is being provided for the tiny DJI drones. More and more we are coming to resemble China and Saudi Arabia with big brother monitoring our emails and phone calls and purchases (and this has led to early morning raids by SWAT teams breaking down the front doors and throwing flash grenades inside the rooms and in one case into the crib of a baby badly injuring the child).
I am frankly amazed that people accept ever increasing loss of privacy and basic rights in this country. We have lost the right to free speech and peaceful assembly and due process of law and even the right to a trial before being killed by our government. How far does it have to go before people wake up?
I'm all about personal privacy and basic rights. The problem is that many people I see on these forums demand the right to do whatever they want even if it includes potentially negatively impacting other people and their rights. For example - flights over people, over busy highways or in airspace shared with manned aircraft. When it suits them, they flaunt that only the FAA has control of the airspace and localities have no right to regulate them as they are the equals of manned aircraft. Then, when the FAA tries to regulate them they demand that these are mere toys and everyone is being silly. The fact is, we are in new territory. Anyone with modest means can go into a store, buy a SUAS, and without any training or understanding of airspace regulations, physics (yes a two pound chunk of metal and plastic that lost a prop at 400 feet could potentially kill someone), or any other applicable topics, take their new toy out and fly it miles out, and do whatever they want in blissful ignorance of the annoyance and even dangers they could be presenting to others. Yes, most are bought as toys and yes it would be great if people in general had the sense to fly safely and with respect toward the rights of others but unfortunately many seem to lack this capacity. This is why I have no problem with authorities being able to spot a nuisance SUAS, and have the ability to find out who owns it. This is the kind of thing that can actually reduce future regulations because the threat of being held accountable can be very persuasive in keeping people from doing stupid stuff.
Right now, if you wanted to, you could fly your Phantom miles away from your home while sitting on your porch. You could fly it up to someone's window and hover. You could do this repeatedly and if you fly low enough and intentionally fly different routes home, you would be nearly impossible to track or stop - other than through the destruction of your Phantom. As it stands, there would be no way for authorities to figure out who you are or where you are. If this was my daughter's window, I'm sorry but in my opinion her right to privacy trumps yours. We are currently in the wild west with these things. The government should have been working on reasonable regulations years ago but instead they are playing catch-up. DJI is protecting their own interests because they do not want to see SUAS over-regulation any more than we do.