DJI adds `voluntary identification` for drone pilots who want to broadcast their credentials
(Digital Photography Review)

DJI has updated its AeroScope drone tracking and identification system to include an optional self-identification feature for drone operators who choose to broadcast the info. With this update, operators can now `voluntarily identify their flight operations to authorities,` DJI explained in a press release. That info will join the serial number and telemetry data DJI drones broadcast to AeroScope receivers used by authorities. AeroScope was created as a solution for airport officials and law enforcement who need to identify drones operated in ways that violate regulations, such as near an airport. The system picks up on the telemetry data and serial number of a drone using the communications link between the drone and its remote controller. This localized data broadcasting limits surveillance potential by avoiding the Internet altogether. You can see the tech in action in this video. Via updates to both the DJI GO 4 app and DJI drones, operators will now have the option of broadcasting their Unique User Identification Code (UUIC), which is connected to their DJI pilot account, as well as providing Identification & Flight Information. With that latter option, drone operators can choose to share information about their flight with authorities who may be nearby with an AeroScope receiver. Though AeroScope remains a point of contention for many DJI owners, the added ability to voluntarily provide information about a flight could prove beneficial for pilots, enabling them to directly provide law enforcement or other authorities with details about the nature of flight and why it is taking place. The feature started rolling out late last week, first arriving via an update for the DJI Mavic Pro.