FAA Releases Privacy Plan for ADS-B and Plan to protect the privacy of operators from real-time flight-tracking services

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MtnBiker2005

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FAA Releases Privacy Plan for ADS-B
November 4, 2019

The FAA is putting one of the final pieces in place for the transition to the January 1,2020 ADS-B deadline, releasing a plan to protect the privacy of operators from real-time flight-tracking services.

The Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) Program will be implemented in phases. Under the first phase, to be in place by January 1, the FAA will set up a portal to accept requests from operators seeking to keep their real-time ADS-B position and identification information private. Those operators will receive an alternative, temporary ICAO aircraft address that is not linked with their FAA registration information. To qualify, the aircraft must be U.S-registered, 1090-MHz ADS-B equipped, and fly in U.S. airspace.

Under Phase 2, the FAA will transition the PIA program to a third-party service provider. That move is anticipated in mid-2020.

Read more on the news story....

NBAA Commends FAA for New Measures to Preserve Aviation Privacy, Security

US Moving to Continue Aviation Anonymity Option; Mostly

FAA has initiated the Privacy ICAO Address (PIA)

Only U.S. registered aircraft can be assigned a privacy ICAO aircraft address. No operator can use a privacy ICAO aircraft address for a U.S.-registered aircraft unless that operator is authorized to use a third-party flight identification for that same aircraft. No unique privacy ICAO address will be assigned to more than one U.S.-registered aircraft at any given time. Once approved, the operator will be assigned a privacy ICAO address.

The operator will be required to notify the FAA when their avionics have been loaded with the assigned temporary ICAO 24-bit aircraft address. Owners and operators must verify that the ICAO 24-bit aircraft address (Mode S code) broadcast by their ADS-B equipment matches the assigned privacy ICAO address for their aircraft.
 
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VK3RX

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If I'm interpreting this correctly, this will filter out those aircraft from data feeds provided by the FAA to external aircraft tracking software providers.

However those tracking software providers who also/or instead take feeds from other sources e.g. individuals, flying organizations, hobbyists etc., presumably the ADS-B signal from the aircraft will still be detected and therefore able to be tracked.
 

belvdr

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I believe it means the ADS-B gear will broadcast the private code, so the only agency able to figure out who it really is will be the FAA.
 

Jay911

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So you won't know that the Nike biz jet is overhead, but 'some kind' of aircraft is overhead.
 

allend

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By using this service, operators will draw attention to themselves and hobbyists will start tracking them down. It's easy enough to sit at the end of a runway and correlate unknown IDs with tail numbers.

Yup and then a database will be created by everybody and then match private ID's with tail numbers and then over time the air buffs will have it all figured out in time.
 

allend

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Well I guess its now time for aircraft to start locking down their information and where abouts

Wonder what this means for websites like Flightaware with commerical aircraft
 

n5ims

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Wonder what this means for websites like Flightaware with commerical aircraft

Probably not much since the flight tracking information is easily available elsewhere like the airline's flight tracking web page. The only issue would be to translate the flight data with the registration information and the associated Mode S code. Chances are that most commercial aircraft won't bother hiding their identification information anyway so they don't have to do more paperwork or change their existing tracking systems to track the changing information.
 

slicerwizard

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I think the aircraft can change 'Privacy ICAO Address (PIA)' code every 30 days.

(An operator can change privacy ICAO aircraft addresses, but no more often than once every 30 days.)
And 30 days is more than enough time to figure out an unknown ID and then apply it to recorded tracks. So we still know who went where and when.

No doubt, software is going to start flagging these IDs as priority targets to alert the watchers. I foresee some automated tail scanning setups in the future.


Ok, that's long enough; the future has arrived: Pi Plane Project – Video Tracking | Simon Aubury.com
 

MtnBiker2005

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"The second phase of the PIA process will be to move it to a third-party service provider sometime mid-year 2020. And with that will come improved opportunities to apply for a new “pseudo” identification separate from the aircraft registration. During the FAA’s management of the program, operators can change no more often than every 60 days, but once transitioned to third-party management, registrants in the PIA can change their coded IDs every 20 days."
- Few comments to read on the page....

_____________________________________________________

Flying in Private
Blocking, Tracking, and Using a Dot Com (DCM) Call Sign
 
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IC-R20

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If I'm interpreting this correctly, this will filter out those aircraft from data feeds provided by the FAA to external aircraft tracking software providers.

However those tracking software providers who also/or instead take feeds from other sources e.g. individuals, flying organizations, hobbyists etc., presumably the ADS-B signal from the aircraft will still be detected and therefore able to be tracked.

Yeah pretty much, so good luck with that government kneejerkers. Also most online services use volunteer feeds these days btw sooooo yeah. Nice use of our tax dollars as always, can't imagine why we're in debt.
 

vagrant

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By using this service, operators will draw attention to themselves and hobbyists will start tracking them down. It's easy enough to sit at the end of a runway and correlate unknown IDs with tail numbers.
How many man hours will it take to track one with an unknown ID? How many man hours for 10? Then explain on how you came to that calculation.
 

slicerwizard

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No extra man hours required. Buffs already hang out at airports and they'll see the mystery IDs on their ADS-B setups and correlate with passing planes. Easy peasy.
 

MtnBiker2005

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What FAA’s New ADS-B Privacy Policy Means for Business Aviation Operators
November 8, 2019

Comments on these pages.....

The PIA program is limited to domestic operations because other ICAO member states do not currently offer this capability.
Aircraft equipped with Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) ADS-B avionics, including dual 1090/UAT-equipped aircraft, cannot participate in the PIA program, although they are able to continue using the UAT’s anonymous mode if they are not on an IFR flight plan or receiving ATC services.

ADS-B changing designated call signs
ADS-B is driving ATC system changes that will affect all volunteer pilots using FAA-authorized call signs, including "CMF" for compassion and "ARF" for animal rescue flights. Beginning December 15, pilots must stop using the current method of filing—for example, CMF combined with the last three digits of the aircraft registration number. Instead, the pilot must contact his or her volunteer flying organization(s) and be issued a unique call sign that’s assigned to the pilot, and not the aircraft.

The Air Care Alliance will serve as administrator of the CMF call sign, and will assign call signs to pilots flying for groups that have completed required paperwork.
The group plans to open an online registration portal around December 8

Pilots’ continued use of the old methodology after December 15 could result in FAA violations, as well as loss of the pilot’s authorization to use the compassion call sign, the Air Care Alliance said in an email to pilots.


Tell your congressman to make registration data private
with Comments....
 

krokus

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I would be happy to help crowd source a translation table, just to knock down the entitlement thoughts.

Don't want someone tracking your aircraft? There is a simple solution, use a different aircraft.
 

MtnBiker2005

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PIA Program Steps

FAA's Privacy Program for Aircraft Goes Live

NBAA Advises Using Both Existing, New Privacy Programs
 
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