EAA Supports Data Privacy Proposal

On Wednesday, EAA submitted comments to an FAA proposal that would remove certain aircraft registration data from public display on the FAA website, search features, and published reports. This new policy would allow general aviation aircraft owners to voluntarily request their personally identifiable information to be withheld from public dissemination. This new rule is pursuant to a provision in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act.

EAA appreciates the efforts by the FAA to align aircraft data privacy protections with standards similar to those for motor vehicles, which would better protect members’ personal information. Going beyond the FAA’s draft proposal, EAA strongly encouraged the agency to adopt an “opt-in” model to further strengthen aircraft owner privacy by having personal data suppressed by default, unless owners consent to having it disseminated.

Comments submitted by EAA also noted the potential for misuse of registry data through technologies introduced for safety, not surveillance. The association called on the FAA to remain vigilant against third-party circumvention that could undermine the intent of this privacy measure.

EAA proposed that access to the registry should be preserved for aviation safety groups who work to contact aircraft owners with specific, targeted safety content. Organizations such as type clubs and the Air Safety Institute have used the registry in this way to great effect, and this access can be maintained without appreciably undermining privacy.

You can read EAA’s full comments here: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FAA-2025-0638-0572