EPIC Urges Senate Commerce to Keep Eye on Drone, Connected Vehicle Privacy Issues

The Electronic Privacy Information Center emphasized the importance of privacy issues for drones and autonomous and connected vehicles, in a letter to Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla. EPIC asked that the letter be made part of the record of Transportation Secretary-designate Elaine Chao's confirmation hearing that was held Wednesday (see 1701110031). In August, EPIC sued the Federal Aviation Administration for what the group said was the agency's failure to live up to the 2012 FAA Act (see 1608260020). "Drones pose a unique threat to the privacy of Americans," said the Thursday letter, signed by EPIC President Marc Rotenberg, Policy Director Caitriona Fitzgerald and Policy Fellow Kimberly Miller. They said more than 100 experts and organizations petitioned the FAA to produce a privacy rule. EPIC also said it urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address privacy and security risks to connected vehicles stemming from current policy approaches that are based on industry self-regulation.