Streufert, of ADS-B Exchange, knows of no laws that prevent people from accessing publicly broadcast information, such as flight movements. ?It's public data, mandated to be broadcast,? Streufert said. The FAA collects the information to improve ?safety and efficiency in the air and on runways,? it says online.

Flight trackers like FlightRadar24 or FlightAware are legal because they rely on ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) signals, which are unencrypted radio broadcasts mandated by aviation authorities for safety. Every modern commercial aircraft is required by law to constantly broadcast its position, altitude, and velocity so that other planes and air traffic controllers can maintain safe separation. Because these signals are sent out on a public frequency (1090 MHz), anyone with a simple receiver can pick them up. From a legal standpoint, this is treated much like listening to a public radio station; the data is considered "publicly available information" rather than private communication. While some private aircraft owners or high-profile individuals (like celebrities) can apply for programs like the FAA’s "PIA" (Privacy ICAO Address) to mask their specific identity, the physical movement of the "object" in the sky remains public. In the interest of national security, certain military aircraft can "go dark" by turning off their transponders, but for civil aviation, transparency is a fundamental pillar of modern flight safety regulations.