So I’m guessing it’s baked in to all of the Mavic 2 FW’s?
Suppose it would depend on the drone as well. I’m sure an Inspire has much bigger antenna than a spark or mini.
Thinking back to trying to fly my MP in wifi mode with only a phone and was lucky to get anywhere near 100m.
Shame they cant cap the distance at 50m in some way for Joe public, as further than that and it’s none of their fucking buisness.
That’s about it
Yip.
DJI stated that they can ‘introduce’ this (truly wonderful ) capability into their drones going back a few years.
So nice.
I’ve sent the following query to DJI, largely to try and get a clear and formal confirmation of what I already understand to be the case. I was also going to ask what information will be available via the public phone app, but since the ASTM standard on UAS Remote ID isn’t yet out for public consultation, and the FAA haven’t yet decided what their requirements will be, it’s probably too early to get a firm answer on that. I may send them a follow-up depending on how they answer this first query.
Dear DJI,
I’m unclear on some of the functionality of Remote ID and hoping you can assist:
There are options in the app to turn on or off the “UUID” and “Identification & Flight Information” data broadcast. Please confirm what flight data is broadcast with both these settings OFF. My understanding is the Mavic 2 will continue to broadcast data showing the Manufacturer, Model, Serial Number, Last Location, Home Location, Altitude and Height regardless of these settings. Please confirm if that is the case, or any different data that is made available to AeroScope receivers.
My understanding from your web page AeroScope: Orchestrating the Sky - DJI is that the above information is continuously broadcast to AeroScope receivers and to persons with appropriate laptop equipment and software. Please confirm whether any settings are available in the app or otherwise to disable this transmission.
This will go down like a lead balloon with many but it sounds like a good solution for legislation that will almost certainly come into force soon, and if it’s backwardly compatible will mean that we will still legally be able to fly our oldest drones.
Response from DJI:
The AeroScope can check this information about the drone: Drone serial number, direction, speed, altitude, latitude, and longitude, return point, drone model (Mavic, Phantom, etc.).
I am sorry to tell that there is no option on the APP to prevent the AeroScope receiving this information currently.
None of this is surprising, but it gives me a formal response that I’m taking back to the ICO for a view on whether any of it is now (or may be in the future) a breach of data protection law.
Any chance you can follow up with Dji to see if the he fpv system will send this kind of data?
Does the FPV kit have GPS @anon34183503 ?
Technically no. However it has an msp connection to the flight controller so can pull any data that’s available
Sounds interesting yet probably won’t be coming soon…
Rather than display our details, instead an exercise for the CAA and DJI: register the serial number of the drone to the operator ID and display the Operator ID.
From the article:
The firm explained: “Using a simple app, anyone within radio range of the drone can receive that signal and learn the location, altitude, speed and direction of the drone, as well as an identification number for the drone and the location of the pilot.”
Everything seems fine with the information to be broadcasted except the pilot location. The pilot location sounds dangerous. There was a debacle about Waze showing the location of police officers was endangering their lives - how would this be different?
This line from the article leaves a lot to be questioned:
He added that DJI has not yet decided whether it will force its customers to install the update.
DJI could stop our drones from flying if they don’t update to the latest firmware. We’ll have to wait and see what the regulatory bodies decide to do and if they pressure DJI to do this.
It might be coming much sooner than you think (and as noted above, is to some extent already here). The new EASA Regulations which are due to come into force on 1 July 2020 will require new drones in classes C1, C2 and C3 (i.e. most drones in the >250g range) to:
That’s an extract from the Implementing Regulations Annex for class C1, but the same text applies to C2 and C3 drones.
Nobody really knows how these regs will be implemented yet, but I read that as saying that new CE-marked drones from the main manufacturers are all expected to come with pilot-location identification switched on, as indeed existing DJI drones are already doing anyway. However, I haven’t seen any sign that drones are appearing with the C0, C1 etc labels yet, so although the regs are supposed to apply from July, we’ll all be flying legacy models under legacy permissions for some time yet.
PS: I don’t think I ever reported back on the conclusion of my discussions with the ICO about whether any of this breaches Data Protection legislation. Their view is that, no, it does not. Here’s what their case officer had to say:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your email of 28 November 2019.
As you have mentioned, DJI would not be operating as a data controller for the information which is emitted by the drones, and would not have responsibility for that data.
If the data being emitted can be used to identify individuals then you may wish to raise this with the creator of the product. However, I would suggest that the emission of that information would not necessarily be personal data, and may need to be disclosed by law.
If an individual tracks a user using this data in an inappropriate way this could be constituted as harassment. If this happens the police would be the appropriate authority to contact.
It just smacks of DJI trying to be overly compliant and attempting to mahoosively point the finger at the pilot, regardless of any wrong doing. Its as if DJI are saying, ‘Its not our products everyone, its the damn pilots fault and heres their location’.
This info should only be dish out to the relevant authorities not Joe and his (too easily) irate public. Joe Public simply dont need have access to this data or I want something of theirs in return. Simples.
If DJI want to sell into the European market in future, they don’t really have much choice, although they clearly don’t have to be enabling the data broadcasts today. As with all the social media services that leak user data, DJI can be safe in the knowledge that hardly anyone cares enough about their data privacy to actually make purchasing decisions that protect it.
I think the issue is pretty simple: regulations are set by politicians and civil servants who follow the advice from whoever lobbies loudest. There seems to be no organised recreational drone user lobby in Europe, so we’re at the absolute bottom of the queue in terms of influence. The only way to influence better regulations in future is to join up, get organised, and get lobbying. And there’s very little sign of that happening.
I agree.
Youre average pundit just doesnt give a monkeys about their privacy. ‘Social’ media firms started out wanting to take and sell your info but knew they couldnt so upped the stakes by offering apps with so many features that people just couldnt be $rsed to bother about their info any more, their mates had the app and they(we) just wanted to be part of it regardless of what the Ts & Cs say.
Its a joke. Making billions using our info. No one cares enough. As long as theres access to their ‘friends’ latest meaningless post.
*Rant over
Lol. I really could go on. It boils my blood.
*Logs onto Insta to post a photo of his yoghurt pot!
PS ‘Social Media’ ?? Sod that, get outhere and see your friends and family fgs. We’re being duped!!
** Rant wasnt quite over LOL
This is part of the issue with a majority of us human beans.
Weve allowed so much access to our personal data over the last few years that the bar is set so high for the amount and type of data big business can collect from us on various platforms. Much like a bear fishing in a barrel.
I was astounded that a Microsoft Windows install now insists we get Ads as part of the experience. During the install it asks not whether we want them but whether we want them personalised or not.
Im used to phone apps doing this. But fully fledged desktop Operating systems?! Blatantly spying on us?! (Yes I know theyve been doing it for years but theyre so chilled about letting us know theyre doing it nowadays ) In my time as an IT bod ive installed windows 100s of times and its only Windows 10 where Ive ever come across this. MS dont need it. Just $heer greed to take a peice of our info to resell. I wouldnt mind so much if I got a %.
Its deffo out of hand. Its just not right.
Funny actually, although Ive known this for a while. I can tell you everywhere Ive been, how long I stayed for, every internet search term ive ever entered into a browser. Every web page page ive ever looked at, Every voice command ive ever created on my phone or smart speaker(s), each time Ive visited a fish shop or barbers (or any buidling or place of note) over the last 10+years via my google account. Its all there. Its bonkers really.
*Digs out nokia 3310
Youre right too only being organised gets results. To.much data grabbing for me. (as he uses google to look up top 10 Drone holidays )
I wonder where that sits with Data Protection Act if you haven’t given permissions or will DJi be forced to give the option you agree or you don’t use it options
I wonder if anyone will keep this app on their mobile phone on the off chance of being near to a troubling drone let alone be aware of its existence.
However, it dont half eat my a55 that DJI are doing this simply for the sake of being ‘transparent’.
See previous discussion in this thread - it’s not a breach of the Data Protection Act, at least not by DJI. There is a possibility that anyone using the phone app could be in breach of the DPA if they store and process your location data.