FAA to Restrict Access to Aircraft Registration Database

New rule aims to shield private aircraft owners from harassment

Meg Godlewski

Monday, March 31, 2025 at 01:25 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

FAA insignia on a laptop [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

ADS-B, intended for aviation safety, is being misused by third parties to track private aircraft owners through public FAA records, leading to anonymous threats and false reports.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Public Law 118-63, Section 803 Data Private) now allows private aircraft owners to request their name and address be kept private on FAA websites.
Private owners can make electronic requests via CARES, but the FAA is currently soliciting public comment to determine implementation methods and assess the impact on data accessibility for stakeholders.

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ADS-B was created as a means of making aviation safer, as it gave pilots an extra tool to maintain situational awareness. Unfortunately, ADS-B combined with third-party websites that track aircraft is making it possible for keyboard warriors (the pilot term for internet trolls) to track down the owners of aircraft through the Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registry.

These people send anonymous letters to the owner’s address as listed in the FAA database. Often these letters come from someone who doesn’t like aircraft and include a threat to report the pilot to the FAA for alleged violations or threatened with a lawsuit.