Right before Christmas, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pushed through a rule requiring any kid who got a drone from Santa to register their new toy with the government.

Registering drones that weigh more than half a pound could well be wise policy, depending on how it’s implemented. Indeed, holding drone operators accountable could forestall limits on how drones can be used.

But ramming this rule through — in a fit of technopanic, without transparency or public comment — is simply illegal. You never had a say and yet the law says you must.

TechFreedom has sued to overturn this drone registration requirement and to force the FAA follow the standard rules for devising such regulations.

When policymakers consider new technologies like drones, law requires they must carefully weigh the costs and benefits. They must seek public comment from stakeholders before implementing new rules. Tech companies, hobbyists, news organizations, humanitarians, and even law enforcement must have their say about drone policy and have a place at the table in ongoing discussions.

While drones certainly pose legitimate concerns around air safety, privacy, and surveillance, their potential for innovation, economic growth, and humanitarian aid requires that regulators tread carefully. The FAA shouldn’t stifle the potential benefits of drones through knee-jerk regulations passed in a fit of technopanic.

Innovation shouldn’t require permission. TechFreedom will continue to fight regulatory overreach to ensure that drones can surprise us all in how they revolutionize not just our economy but our lives — everything from newsgathering to humanitarian rescue. We need your help to support our efforts.

Besides suing the FAA, we’re also working to make sure that privacy concerns about drones don’t restrict the right of drone operators to do what anyone can do today: take images and record video in public places.

But we can’t do this alone. We need your help to support our efforts.

Please make a tax-deductible donation here so that we can keep fighting for tech companies, hobbyists, news organizations, humanitarians, and law enforcement agencies so they can harness the full potential of the drone revolution.