Facing EPIC Lawsuit, FAA Scraps Secretive Drone Committees
The FAA's Drone Advisory Committee, facing an open government lawsuit from EPIC, has scrapped the secretive committees that developed drone policy. EPIC filed a lawsuit challenging the closed-door meetings with agency officials and industry reps. EPIC also charged that the FAA ignored the privacy risks posed by the deployment of drones—even after identifying privacy as a top public concern. The FAA acknowledged that the committees provided policy advice, but the FAA failed to comply with open government laws. EPIC has a long history of promoting government transparency and advocating for privacy protections against drones.