I am extremely disappointed to learn from this March 2, 2023 Wired Magazine article: wired.com/story/dji-droneid-operator-location-hacker-tool that every DJI quadcopter broadcasts its operator’s position via radio, in the clear, completely unprotected.  This violates not only pilot privacy, but also potentially their safety.

The article makes clear that this security flaw and the ability to exploit it is not theoretical, that it can be done very cheaply and easily, and has been real-world demonstrated.

To the extent that a customer is in a position to make demands, I demand that you encrypt all transmission data that includes location.  This key should be regenerated and sync'd as step 1 of any new connection between aircraft and controller.

Even if one feels there is a legitimate public safety argument to be made for leaving flight location data unencrypted, no such argument applies to broadcasting the pilot location.  That can only serve to assist those who would seek to harass or harm a pilot.

This has nothing to do with the "Remote ID" requirements which become mandatory for most drone operation in the US later this year.  The argument that Remote ID will also make that data available in the clear ignores the fact that pilots operating <250g drones for purely recreational purposes are not required to comply with Remote ID.

Which brings me to a second point.  My understanding is that in Remote ID compliant models, the FAA prohibits disabling (even temporarily) the Remote ID signal, even if the flight involves a pilot and drone not required to comply with Remote ID.  

Therefore DJI should offer non "Remote ID" compliant versions of <250g models such as the Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro, for use by purely recreational pilots who prefer not to broadcast their location to the world.

Even if one accepts that DJI Spokesman Adam Lisbert was not lying, but was misinformed when he denied the data was unencrypted, a statement that was walked back after being proven false, it is time for DJI to take action.  You must assure your customers that you respect their safety and privacy, and that such respect will be reflected in the specifications of your products.  Trust lost is hard to win back.

Already discussed on the forum several times.

I'm having a hard time understanding what's really annoying.

Do you want a technique to have the localization of an operator without software without expensive device? Look where the drone lands and go there. It was free.

All this to say that if you value your privacy so much, do not use DJI equipment and fly in a city populated only by blind people.

These identification systems are the direct consequence of idiots who do anything. Last week in France a journalist flew over a hydrogen production site without authorization. Then he posted it on the internet. With this kind of behavior you should not expect the disappearance of such a system, your privacy takes second place.

Here is the article in question:

Hugo Clément under investigation after flying a drone over a prohibited area - Teller Report

This kind of scandal is blessed bread for politicians who are afraid of everything and who lay liberticidal laws all year round.

LV_Forestry Posted at 3-4 12:03
Already discussed on the forum several times.

I'm having a hard time understanding what's really annoying.

I'm new to the forum, but I did search for the topic with no success before posting.  Apologies for wasting your time.  If you could point me to where these discussions are I'd like to see them.

But I guess the notion that privacy concerns are silly is one perspective, but one that is a tough sell.

Thanks for the advice but I mostly fly in rough, partially wooded terrain (that I own).  Somebody would likely have to be on my property to see me.  I see no advantage for me to electronically publish my location in real-time for the perusal of any and all entities for any and all purposes.

I served in the military, during the cold war, performing a job called "Electronic Warfare Intercept Systems Repair".  I have enough experience with SIGINT/ELINT/COMINT to prefer not to literally surround myself with such specific data under a system that grants me no power over or even knowledge of who is using it and how.  It doesn't keep me up at night, but it is something I prefer to avoid when I can.  You want to photoshop a tin-foil hat onto my head for that, I guess that's your choice.

In a time when state and local governments (such as my home state: https://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills231/hlrbillspdf/0816H.03C.pdf) are probing the cracks and crevices of FAA policy for weakness, hoping to criminalize all sorts of drone activity, I prefer to limit my exposure to punishment for inadvertent violations.  For instance, accidentally letting my drone touch airspace above private property I don't have explicit permission to fly over (which would be a misdemeanor if that bill passes).

Oh yeah,  If it was such a nothing-burger, why did DJI respond falsely about it when it first came up?

MinorTom Posted at 3-4 12:59
I'm new to the forum, but I did search for the topic with no success before posting.  Apologies for wasting your time.  If you could point me to where these discussions are I'd like to see them.

But I guess the notion that privacy concerns are silly is one perspective, but one that is a tough sell.

https://forum.dji.com/thread-286135-1-1.html

This is the latest following the appearance of the Wired article.  Otherwise type Remote ID, Aeroscope... in the search bar.

Oh the cold war.  It is therefore true that across the Atlantic you have a fairly advanced culture of privacy.  I understand that this can be embarrassing but apart from the police and the security service of sensitive sites, who is interested in the position of drone operators?  

If the trajectory of your drone respects the tranquility and privacy of people around, I don't see under what circumstances anyone would bother to equip themselves with detection equipment.  

You who have worked in this environment, you must know that there is no need to decode a signal to know its geographical source.  

DJI is a company that seems to be extremely messy.  It's not uncommon to have their communicators contradict each other.

MinorTom Posted at 3-4 12:59
I'm new to the forum, but I did search for the topic with no success before posting.  Apologies for wasting your time.  If you could point me to where these discussions are I'd like to see them.

But I guess the notion that privacy concerns are silly is one perspective, but one that is a tough sell.

Aeroscope has been in DJI drones for years,  yes the hackers have figured how to read it but then you need to spend $1500 on the hardware to receive it.  

As for Remote ID you can only blame the governments that require it.

Any word if the DJI mini2 is going to get a update to the app and firmware to meet the up coming September 16, 2023 USA RID requirements. https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id
I know a few of the newer drones like the mni3  have already been updated for RID , what about the mini2? is it going to get RID or is the mini2 going to be classed a toy drone? and not require RID
I was just curious

Ms Ivy Posted at 3-28 14:34
Any word if the DJI mini2 is going to get a update to the app and firmware to meet the up coming September 16, 2023 USA RID requirements. https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id
I know a few of the newer drones like the mni3  have already been updated for RID , what about the mini2? is it going to get RID or is the mini2 going to be classed a toy drone? and not require RID
I was just curious

If you are flying it recreationally, RID is not required because of being below 250g.  

Yeah I understood that part
  but I fly p107 for my  business and the mini2 is a tool I chose use because I only need it for taking photo for a couple of local real estate offices. And some missions I have been on have require i use LAANC and that I fly over120m because of the landscape & mountains in this area, So RID is gonna be a must for me to continue to use my mini 2. The Autel drone I have is a bigger drone,  But does not even come close to the capabilities of my mini2 in camera and flight
maybe time to get a refurbished mavic 3