Privacy, Transparency, and Accountability Regarding Commercial and Private Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, 11978-11980 [2015-05020]

Download as PDF 11978 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 43 / Thursday, March 5, 2015 / Notices Gas Leasing Program for 2017–22. BOEM staff will be available to answer any questions following the presentation. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD805 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meetings National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee will meet as a Committee of the Whole, to receive an overview from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) about their geological and geophysical (G&G) permitting process in the Atlantic, focusing on regulations and the permitted activities for G&G surveys, and the development of possible comments. DATES: The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST, via Internet Webinar. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via Internet Webinar. To join the Webinar, follow this link and enter the online meeting room: https://mafmc. adobeconnect.com/marchboem/. Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901, telephone: (302) 674–2331. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Christopher M. Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; telephone: (302) 526–5255. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BOEM will give a presentation to the Council’s Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee, as a Committee Meeting of the Whole. This will include an overview of the geological and geophysical (G&G) permitting process in the Atlantic, focusing on regulations and the permitted activities for G&G surveys. BOEM will provide an overview of what is included in a complete permit and discuss the coordination process. The overview will also describe the National Environmental Policy Act and internal environmental review processes, discuss the related consultation and coordination process, and finally touch on mitigation and operations monitoring. BOEM will also give an overview of the development of the Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:28 Mar 04, 2015 Jkt 235001 Special Accommodations This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to Jan Saunders, (302) 526–5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Dated: March 2, 2015. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–05076 Filed 3–4–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD767 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC); Public Meetings National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of a public meeting. accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Actions will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council’s intent to take final action to address the emergency. Special Accommodations The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, (302) 526–5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date. Dated: March 2, 2015. Tracey L. Thompson, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2015–05081 Filed 3–4–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P AGENCY: The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Tilefish Monitoring Committee will hold a public meeting. DATES: The meeting will be held Thursday, March 26, 2015, from 10 a.m. until noon. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only connection option. Council address: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 N. State St., Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674–2331. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D. Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; telephone: (302) 526–5255. The Council’s Web site, www.mafmc.org also has details on the proposed agenda, webinar listen-in access, and briefing materials. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this meeting is for the Monitoring Committee to review, and if necessary, revise the current management measures designed to achieve the recommended Golden Tilefish catch and landings limits for 2016/17. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before this group for discussion, in SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Telecommunications and Information Administration [Docket No. 150224183–5183–01] RIN 0660–XC016 Privacy, Transparency, and Accountability Regarding Commercial and Private Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. ACTION: Request for public comment. AGENCY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is requesting comment on privacy, transparency, and accountability issues regarding commercial and private use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). On February 15, 2015, President Obama issued the Presidential Memorandum ‘‘Promoting Economic Competitiveness While Safeguarding Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems,’’ which directs NTIA to establish a multistakeholder engagement process to develop and communicate best practices for privacy, accountability, and transparency issues regarding commercial and private UAS use in the National Airspace System (NAS). SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM 05MRN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 43 / Thursday, March 5, 2015 / Notices Through this notice NTIA commences this process. DATES: Comments are due on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 20, 2015. ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by email to UASrfc2015@ ntia.doc.gov. Comments submitted by email should be machine-readable and should not be copy-protected. Written comments also may be submitted by mail to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4725, Attn: UAS RFC 2015, Washington, DC 20230. Responders should include the name of the person or organization filing the comment, as well as a page number on each page of their submissions. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted to https:// www.ntia.doc.gov/category/internetpolicy-task-force without change. All personal identifying information (for example, name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NTIA will accept anonymous comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Verdi or John Morris, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4725, Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482–8238 or (202) 482–1689; email jverdi@ ntia.doc.gov or jmorris@ntia.doc.gov. Please direct media inquiries to NTIA’s Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482–7002. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: Congress recognized the potential wide-ranging benefits of UAS operations within the United States in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–95), which requires a plan to safely integrate civil UAS into the NAS by 2015. Compared to manned aircraft, UAS may provide lower-cost operation and augment existing capabilities while reducing risks to human life. Estimates suggest the positive economic impact to U.S. industry of the integration of UAS into the NAS could be substantial and likely will grow for the foreseeable future.1 UAS may be able to provide a variety of 1 Presidential Memorandum, ‘‘Promoting Economic Competitiveness While Safeguarding Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems,’’ (Feb. 15, 2015), available at: https://www. whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/15/ presidential-memorandum-promoting-economiccompetitiveness-while-safegua. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:28 Mar 04, 2015 Jkt 235001 commercial services less expensively than manned aircraft, including aerial photography and farm management, while reducing or eliminating safety risks to aircraft operators. In addition, UAS may be able to provide some commercial services that would be impossible for manned aircraft. For example, improvements in technology may allow small UAS to deliver packages to homes and businesses where manned aircraft cannot land, and high-altitude UAS could provide Internet service to remote areas by remaining aloft for months at a time— far longer than manned aircraft. On February 15, 2015, President Obama issued the Presidential Memorandum ‘‘Promoting Economic Competitiveness While Safeguarding Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems.’’ The Presidential Memorandum states: ‘‘[a]s UAS are integrated into the NAS, the Federal Government will take steps to ensure that the integration takes into account not only our economic competitiveness and public safety, but also the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties concerns these systems may raise.’’ 2 The Presidential Memorandum establishes a ‘‘multi-stakeholder engagement process to develop and communicate best practices for privacy, accountability, and transparency issues regarding commercial and private UAS use in the NAS.’’ 3 The process will include stakeholders from industry, civil society, and academia, and will be initiated by the Department of Commerce, through NTIA, and in consultation with other interested agencies. The NTIA-convened process is intended to help address privacy concerns raised by commercial and private UAS. UAS can enable aerial data collection that is more sustained, pervasive, and invasive than manned flight; at the same time, UAS flights can reduce costs, provide novel services, and promote economic growth. These attributes create opportunities for innovation, but also pose privacy challenges regarding collection, use, retention, and dissemination of data collected by UAS. NTIA encourages stakeholders to identify safeguards that address the privacy challenges posed by commercial and private UAS use. The NTIA-convened process is intended to promote transparent UAS operation by companies and individuals. Transparent operation can include identifying the entities that 2 Presidential Memorandum at 1. 3 Presidential Memorandum at 4. PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 11979 operate particular UAS, the purposes of UAS flights, and the data practices associated with UAS operations. Transparent UAS operation can enhance privacy and bolster other values. Transparency can help property owners identify UAS if an aircraft erroneously operates or lands on private property. Transparency can also facilitate reports of UAS operations that cause nuisances or appear unsafe. NTIA encourages stakeholders to identify mechanisms, such as standardized physical markings or electronic identifiers, which could promote transparent UAS operation.4 The NTIA-convened process is intended to promote accountable UAS operation by companies and individuals. UAS operators can employ accountability mechanisms to help ensure that privacy protections and transparency policies are enforced within an organization. Accountability mechanisms can include rules regarding oversight and privacy training for UAS pilots, as well as policies for how companies and individuals operate UAS and handle data collected by UAS. Accountability programs can also employ audits, assessments, and internal or external reports to verify UAS operators’ compliance with their privacy and transparency commitments. Accountability mechanisms can be implemented by companies, model aircraft clubs, UAS training programs, or others. NTIA encourages stakeholders to identify mechanisms that can promote accountable UAS operation. NTIA will convene stakeholders in an open and transparent forum to develop consensus best practices for utilization by commercial and private UAS operators. For this process, commercial and private use includes the use of UAS for commercial purposes as civil aircraft, even if the use would qualify a UAS as a public aircraft under 49 U.S.C. 40102(a)(41) and 40125. The process will not focus on law enforcement or other noncommercial governmental use of UAS. NTIA will convene the first public meeting of the multistakeholder process in the Washington, DC metro area. The meeting will be open to the public, webcast, and NTIA will provide an audio conference bridge. NTIA asks that stakeholders who plan to attend the first meeting express their interest at: https://www.ntia.doc.gov/2015-privacymultistakeholder-meeting-expression. Expressions of interest will assist NTIA in approximating the number of 4 Such standardized physical marking would be in addition to the markings required by the FAA for purposes of registration. E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM 05MRN1 11980 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 43 / Thursday, March 5, 2015 / Notices attendees and identifying an appropriate venue for the meeting. Request for Comment: NTIA invites public comment on the following issues from all stakeholders, including the commercial, academic, and public interest sectors, lawmakers, and governmental consumer protection and enforcement agencies. NTIA will use the comments to help establish an efficient, effective structure for the multistakeholder engagement and identify the substantive issues stakeholders wish to discuss. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES General 1. The Presidential Memorandum asks stakeholders to develop best practices concerning privacy, transparency, and accountability for a broad range of UAS platforms and commercial practices. How should the group’s work be structured? Should working groups address portions of the task? 2. Would it be helpful to establish three working groups with one focusing on privacy, one on transparency, and one on accountability? Should such groups work in serial or parallel? 3. Would it be helpful for stakeholders to distinguish between micro, small, and large UAS platforms (e.g., UAS under 4.4 lbs., UAS between 4.4 lbs. and 55 lbs., and UAS over 55 lbs.)? Do smaller or larger platforms raise different issues for privacy, transparency, and accountability? 4. What existing best practices or codes of conduct could serve as bases for stakeholders’ work? Privacy 5. UAS can be used for a wide variety of commercial and private purposes, including aerial photography, package delivery, farm management, and the provision of Internet service. Do some UAS-enabled commercial services raise unique or heightened privacy issues as compared to non-UAS platforms that provide the same services? For example, does UAS-based aerial photography raise unique or heightened privacy issues compared to manned aerial photography? Does UAS-based Internet service raise unique or heightened privacy issues compared to wireline or ground-based wireless Internet service? 6. Which commercial and private uses of UAS raise the most pressing privacy challenges? 7. What specific best practices would mitigate the most pressing privacy challenges while supporting innovation? Transparency 8. Transparent UAS operation can include identifying the entities that VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:28 Mar 04, 2015 Jkt 235001 operate particular UAS, the purposes of UAS flights, and the data practices associated with UAS operations. Is there other information that UAS operators should make public? 9. What values can be supported by transparency of commercial and private UAS operation? Can transparency enhance privacy, encourage reporting of nuisances caused by UAS flights, or help combat unsafe UAS flying? Can transparency support other values? 10. How can companies and individuals best provide notice to the public regarding where a particular entity or individual operates UAS in the NAS? 11. What mechanisms can facilitate identification of commercial and private UAS by the public? Would standardized physical markings aid in identifying UAS when the aircraft are mobile or stationary? 5 Can UAS be equipped with electronic identifiers or other technology to facilitate identification of UAS by the public? 12. How can companies and individuals best keep the public informed about UAS operations that significantly impact privacy, antinuisance, or safety interests? Would routine reporting by large-scale UAS operators provide value to the public? What might such reporting include? How might it be made publicly available? 13. What specific best practices would promote transparent UAS operation while supporting innovation? Accountability 14. UAS operators can employ accountability mechanisms to help ensure that privacy protections and transparency policies are enforced within an organization. How can companies, model aircraft clubs, and UAS training programs ensure that oversight procedures for commercial and private UAS operation comply with relevant policies and best practices? Can audits, assessments, or reporting help promote accountability? 15. What rules regarding conduct, training, operation, data handling, and oversight would promote accountability regarding commercial and private UAS operation? 16. What specific best practices would promote accountable commercial and private UAS operation while supporting innovation? 5 Such standardized physical markings would be in addition to the markings required by the FAA for purposes of registration. PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dated: February 27, 2015. Lawrence E. Strickling, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information. [FR Doc. 2015–05020 Filed 3–4–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–60–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD806 New England Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; public meeting. AGENCY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Habitat Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate. DATES: This meeting will be held on Monday, March 23, 2015 at 9 a.m. and on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 9 a.m. ADDRESSES: Meeting address: The meeting will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 363 Maine Mall Road, South Portland, ME 04106; telephone: (207) 775–6161; fax: (207) 756–6623. Council address: New England Fishery Management Council, 50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, New England Fishery Management Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Habitat committee will review the Plan Development Team analyses as requested on February 24, 2015. The committee also plans to review the Advisory Panel recommendations for preferred alternatives. They will also develop final preferred alternative recommendations for the full Council. They will discuss other business as necessary. Although non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before these groups for discussion, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM 05MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 43 (Thursday, March 5, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11978-11980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05020]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket No. 150224183-5183-01]
RIN 0660-XC016


Privacy, Transparency, and Accountability Regarding Commercial 
and Private Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Request for public comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) is requesting comment on privacy, transparency, and 
accountability issues regarding commercial and private use of unmanned 
aircraft systems (UAS). On February 15, 2015, President Obama issued 
the Presidential Memorandum ``Promoting Economic Competitiveness While 
Safeguarding Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in Domestic Use 
of Unmanned Aircraft Systems,'' which directs NTIA to establish a 
multistakeholder engagement process to develop and communicate best 
practices for privacy, accountability, and transparency issues 
regarding commercial and private UAS use in the National Airspace 
System (NAS).

[[Page 11979]]

Through this notice NTIA commences this process.

DATES: Comments are due on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 20, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by email to 
UASrfc2015@ntia.doc.gov. Comments submitted by email should be machine-
readable and should not be copy-protected. Written comments also may be 
submitted by mail to the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Room 4725, Attn: UAS RFC 2015, Washington, DC 20230. Responders 
should include the name of the person or organization filing the 
comment, as well as a page number on each page of their submissions. 
All comments received are a part of the public record and will 
generally be posted to https://www.ntia.doc.gov/category/internet-policy-task-force without change. All personal identifying information 
(for example, name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may 
be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information 
or otherwise sensitive or protected information. NTIA will accept 
anonymous comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Verdi or John Morris, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4725, Washington, DC 
20230; telephone (202) 482-8238 or (202) 482-1689; email 
jverdi@ntia.doc.gov or jmorris@ntia.doc.gov. Please direct media 
inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-7002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: Congress recognized the 
potential wide-ranging benefits of UAS operations within the United 
States in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-
95), which requires a plan to safely integrate civil UAS into the NAS 
by 2015. Compared to manned aircraft, UAS may provide lower-cost 
operation and augment existing capabilities while reducing risks to 
human life. Estimates suggest the positive economic impact to U.S. 
industry of the integration of UAS into the NAS could be substantial 
and likely will grow for the foreseeable future.\1\ UAS may be able to 
provide a variety of commercial services less expensively than manned 
aircraft, including aerial photography and farm management, while 
reducing or eliminating safety risks to aircraft operators. In 
addition, UAS may be able to provide some commercial services that 
would be impossible for manned aircraft. For example, improvements in 
technology may allow small UAS to deliver packages to homes and 
businesses where manned aircraft cannot land, and high-altitude UAS 
could provide Internet service to remote areas by remaining aloft for 
months at a time--far longer than manned aircraft.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Presidential Memorandum, ``Promoting Economic 
Competitiveness While Safeguarding Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil 
Liberties in Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems,'' (Feb. 15, 
2015), available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/02/15/presidential-memorandum-promoting-economic-competitiveness-while-safegua.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On February 15, 2015, President Obama issued the Presidential 
Memorandum ``Promoting Economic Competitiveness While Safeguarding 
Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in Domestic Use of Unmanned 
Aircraft Systems.'' The Presidential Memorandum states: ``[a]s UAS are 
integrated into the NAS, the Federal Government will take steps to 
ensure that the integration takes into account not only our economic 
competitiveness and public safety, but also the privacy, civil rights, 
and civil liberties concerns these systems may raise.'' \2\ The 
Presidential Memorandum establishes a ``multi-stakeholder engagement 
process to develop and communicate best practices for privacy, 
accountability, and transparency issues regarding commercial and 
private UAS use in the NAS.'' \3\ The process will include stakeholders 
from industry, civil society, and academia, and will be initiated by 
the Department of Commerce, through NTIA, and in consultation with 
other interested agencies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Presidential Memorandum at 1.
    \3\ Presidential Memorandum at 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The NTIA-convened process is intended to help address privacy 
concerns raised by commercial and private UAS. UAS can enable aerial 
data collection that is more sustained, pervasive, and invasive than 
manned flight; at the same time, UAS flights can reduce costs, provide 
novel services, and promote economic growth. These attributes create 
opportunities for innovation, but also pose privacy challenges 
regarding collection, use, retention, and dissemination of data 
collected by UAS. NTIA encourages stakeholders to identify safeguards 
that address the privacy challenges posed by commercial and private UAS 
use.
    The NTIA-convened process is intended to promote transparent UAS 
operation by companies and individuals. Transparent operation can 
include identifying the entities that operate particular UAS, the 
purposes of UAS flights, and the data practices associated with UAS 
operations. Transparent UAS operation can enhance privacy and bolster 
other values. Transparency can help property owners identify UAS if an 
aircraft erroneously operates or lands on private property. 
Transparency can also facilitate reports of UAS operations that cause 
nuisances or appear unsafe. NTIA encourages stakeholders to identify 
mechanisms, such as standardized physical markings or electronic 
identifiers, which could promote transparent UAS operation.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ Such standardized physical marking would be in addition to 
the markings required by the FAA for purposes of registration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The NTIA-convened process is intended to promote accountable UAS 
operation by companies and individuals. UAS operators can employ 
accountability mechanisms to help ensure that privacy protections and 
transparency policies are enforced within an organization. 
Accountability mechanisms can include rules regarding oversight and 
privacy training for UAS pilots, as well as policies for how companies 
and individuals operate UAS and handle data collected by UAS. 
Accountability programs can also employ audits, assessments, and 
internal or external reports to verify UAS operators' compliance with 
their privacy and transparency commitments. Accountability mechanisms 
can be implemented by companies, model aircraft clubs, UAS training 
programs, or others. NTIA encourages stakeholders to identify 
mechanisms that can promote accountable UAS operation.
    NTIA will convene stakeholders in an open and transparent forum to 
develop consensus best practices for utilization by commercial and 
private UAS operators. For this process, commercial and private use 
includes the use of UAS for commercial purposes as civil aircraft, even 
if the use would qualify a UAS as a public aircraft under 49 U.S.C. 
40102(a)(41) and 40125. The process will not focus on law enforcement 
or other noncommercial governmental use of UAS.
    NTIA will convene the first public meeting of the multistakeholder 
process in the Washington, DC metro area. The meeting will be open to 
the public, webcast, and NTIA will provide an audio conference bridge. 
NTIA asks that stakeholders who plan to attend the first meeting 
express their interest at: https://www.ntia.doc.gov/2015-privacy-multistakeholder-meeting-expression. Expressions of interest will 
assist NTIA in approximating the number of

[[Page 11980]]

attendees and identifying an appropriate venue for the meeting.
    Request for Comment: NTIA invites public comment on the following 
issues from all stakeholders, including the commercial, academic, and 
public interest sectors, lawmakers, and governmental consumer 
protection and enforcement agencies. NTIA will use the comments to help 
establish an efficient, effective structure for the multistakeholder 
engagement and identify the substantive issues stakeholders wish to 
discuss.

General

    1. The Presidential Memorandum asks stakeholders to develop best 
practices concerning privacy, transparency, and accountability for a 
broad range of UAS platforms and commercial practices. How should the 
group's work be structured? Should working groups address portions of 
the task?
    2. Would it be helpful to establish three working groups with one 
focusing on privacy, one on transparency, and one on accountability? 
Should such groups work in serial or parallel?
    3. Would it be helpful for stakeholders to distinguish between 
micro, small, and large UAS platforms (e.g., UAS under 4.4 lbs., UAS 
between 4.4 lbs. and 55 lbs., and UAS over 55 lbs.)? Do smaller or 
larger platforms raise different issues for privacy, transparency, and 
accountability?
    4. What existing best practices or codes of conduct could serve as 
bases for stakeholders' work?

Privacy

    5. UAS can be used for a wide variety of commercial and private 
purposes, including aerial photography, package delivery, farm 
management, and the provision of Internet service. Do some UAS-enabled 
commercial services raise unique or heightened privacy issues as 
compared to non-UAS platforms that provide the same services? For 
example, does UAS-based aerial photography raise unique or heightened 
privacy issues compared to manned aerial photography? Does UAS-based 
Internet service raise unique or heightened privacy issues compared to 
wireline or ground-based wireless Internet service?
    6. Which commercial and private uses of UAS raise the most pressing 
privacy challenges?
    7. What specific best practices would mitigate the most pressing 
privacy challenges while supporting innovation?

Transparency

    8. Transparent UAS operation can include identifying the entities 
that operate particular UAS, the purposes of UAS flights, and the data 
practices associated with UAS operations. Is there other information 
that UAS operators should make public?
    9. What values can be supported by transparency of commercial and 
private UAS operation? Can transparency enhance privacy, encourage 
reporting of nuisances caused by UAS flights, or help combat unsafe UAS 
flying? Can transparency support other values?
    10. How can companies and individuals best provide notice to the 
public regarding where a particular entity or individual operates UAS 
in the NAS?
    11. What mechanisms can facilitate identification of commercial and 
private UAS by the public? Would standardized physical markings aid in 
identifying UAS when the aircraft are mobile or stationary? \5\ Can UAS 
be equipped with electronic identifiers or other technology to 
facilitate identification of UAS by the public?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ Such standardized physical markings would be in addition to 
the markings required by the FAA for purposes of registration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    12. How can companies and individuals best keep the public informed 
about UAS operations that significantly impact privacy, anti-nuisance, 
or safety interests? Would routine reporting by large-scale UAS 
operators provide value to the public? What might such reporting 
include? How might it be made publicly available?
    13. What specific best practices would promote transparent UAS 
operation while supporting innovation?

Accountability

    14. UAS operators can employ accountability mechanisms to help 
ensure that privacy protections and transparency policies are enforced 
within an organization. How can companies, model aircraft clubs, and 
UAS training programs ensure that oversight procedures for commercial 
and private UAS operation comply with relevant policies and best 
practices? Can audits, assessments, or reporting help promote 
accountability?
    15. What rules regarding conduct, training, operation, data 
handling, and oversight would promote accountability regarding 
commercial and private UAS operation?
    16. What specific best practices would promote accountable 
commercial and private UAS operation while supporting innovation?

    Dated: February 27, 2015.
Lawrence E. Strickling,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 2015-05020 Filed 3-4-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-60-P
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