AOPA urges members to support privacy act to end ADS-B misuse

The AOPA released a statement on Thursday asking its members to contact their senators and representatives in Congress and urge them to co-sponsor the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA). PAPA is meant to address the concerns over misuse of ADS-B data and was introduced in 2025 by Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.) and Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.). The act would restrict the use of ADS-B data to only be for its intended purposes of air traffic safety and efficiency. It would prohibit using the data to collect fees from pilots and aircraft owners, forcing airports to be transparent about proposed fees and their intended purpose. It would also expand a provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 to ban government officials from starting a non-criminal investigation based only on ADS-B data. "When the ADS-B mandate went into effect in 2020, the FAA said this important technology would only be used for safety and airspace efficiency. Instead, we're now seeing it used in ways that discourage adoption," said AOPA President and CEO Darren Pleasance. "As the largest pilot organization in the world, we need every one of our members to tell their elected representatives how the misuse of ADS-B is a step backward for aviation safety and erodes trust in our aviation system."RELATED STORIES: ADS-B privacy bill highlighted during House Committee hearing on AAMSenate panel approves bill that requires all aircraft to use ADS-B trackingAbby's Ramp Ramble - Somebody's Watching Me (Charging an ADS-B Fee)"Many of us have used ADS-B to track a flight online using a service like Flightradar24 or FlightAware, but those who aren't pilots may not understand how critical this technology has been to the continual improvement we're seeing in general aviation safety," said Mike Ginter, AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior VP. "The accident rate has been dropping for more than 30 years and there is no question that ADS-B has contributed to that success."