I think I now know why some of you are concerned about flight privacy

[woodchucker]

FAA catches whiff of a weed smuggling organization by a pattern of repeated flights.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Most of us arent drug smugglers. Still dont care if you can see me on flightaware. No one is stalking me or my airplane.

The other danger is that eventually, some new administration decides to use such surveillance capabilities to start looking for people whose politics they don’t like. Remember, the Director of National Intelligence, Clapper, lied under oath to congress about the surveillance of US citizens they were performing. These are not unheard of scenarios in other countries.

And seriously, the FAA is worried about people smuggling marijuana which is now legal for recreational use under state law in how many states? Some bureaucrat is scrambling to justify their salary.

Edit: Appears it was driven by the DEA. We need to be rid of them.
Edit: Clapper was director of national intelligence, not the CIA. Clarified recreational marijuana is legal under state law in some jurisdictions. Thanks to @Sundancer for pointing out both.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

But this has nothing to do with aviation, right?

Only insofar as the FAA was involved in the investigation because airplanes were involved. And that FAA mandated flight tracking would enable such tracking to become more widespread. I think that was actually the concern of the OP.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

The press (including broadcast) have been incredibly, perfectly, consistent in always having the facts wrong.

The press’s inability to accurately report at times amazes me. How can they be so sloppy and get so many things wrong? Very much in a hurry to have “the scoop” and not very knowledgeable about the subject, I guess.