The Hill reported Jan. 11 that the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a suit in Northern California’s U.S. District Court to force the FAA to release data about what groups have been given permission to fly higher than the FAA normally permits.

Once drones enter controlled airspace (500 feet and above) they are required to have a permit issued by the FAA; however, currently there is no information available on what organizations have been granted such permits.

“Drones give the government and other unmanned aircraft operators a powerful new surveillance tool to gather extensive and intrusive data on Americans’ movements and activities,” said EFF Staff Attorney Jennifer Lynch. “As the government begins to make policy decisions about the use of these aircraft, the public needs to know more about how and why these drones are being used to surveil United States citizens.”