The federal government is establishing a national registry for purchasers of drones as sales of drones skyrocket. It is expected that each drone would get an identifying number. (Ars Technica, October 19, 2015, by David Kravets)
Identifying numbers on drones would enable authorities to locate owners who operate the aircraft unsafely. (Ars Technica, October 21, 2015, by Cyrus Farivar)
The call for registration has generated considerable opposition as the public and techies consider the possibilities of creating a registry by December, the government’s deadline. Some question whether it would have been wiser to install safety programs or a certification process for operators. Others are concerned that journalists have the freedom to report the news with clear protocols for cooperating with law enforcement. (Huffington Post, October 20, 2015, by Alexander Howard)
There are also concerns that the government would abuse their power to restrict drone reporting as happened during the Ferguson protests when authorities did not want to allow aerial views of police action and banned flights in the name of public safety. (WatchDog Arena, October 20, 2015, by Ryan Hagemann)