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In Germany receiving ADS-B used to be illegal (I don't think it has changed, but I did not verify.) In Finland receiving as such is not illegal, but forwarding

In Germany receiving ADS-B used to be illegal (I don't think it has changed, but I did not verify.) In Finland receiving as such is not illegal, but forwarding the information is. In both cases the reasoning is that this information is not directed to the public. Whether anybody has ever been prosecuted I have no idea.

remus 8y ago
That seems very odd. Somewhat similar to putting up a billboard then saying it's illegal for people to read it, as the billboard wasn't intended for them.
- heavenlyblue 8y ago
  Someone putting a car in the middle of nowhere doesn’t leave it there for anyone ti pickup.
  - upofadown 8y ago
    But it is pretty OK to look at the license plate...
    - izacus 8y ago
      Is it also OK for that license plate to be shown to the world together with its location and time?
  - tialaramex 8y ago
    But we are not "picking up" the car. The car is still there for its owner. We only recorded the presence of the car (radio transmission) for our own purposes and it is unmolested.
    - heavenlyblue 8y ago
      Nah - you're specifically using technology that allows you to set any frequency you want, but instead, you're picking the frequency that is illegal for you to listen to and then you're recording it. Moreover - when you finally get caught, on which scale do you have to be doing it to get caught in the first place? Remember - laws don't exist outside reality. And let's be honest - the recording of the presence of a car is also quite illegal in certain jurisdictions. e.g. Germany.
Lunatic666 8y ago
It looks like it was legalized a while ago: https://lawfactory.de/PDF/Funkamateur_2010_03.pdf https://lawfactory.de/PDF/Funkamateur_2010_03.pdf (in German)
- usr1106 8y ago
  Thanks for this link. > It looks like it was legalized a while ago Interesting enough the law has not been changed. The article tells how officials forbade a trader to sell ADS-B receivers to the public. The trader went into court and won. The reasoning of the court was that the law forbids only listening. But because the ADS-B signal is not made audible, but visualized on a PC screen, the law is not applicable. This was only a medium court. Another one or a higher one might decide differently. Probably you should start lobbying that lawmakers will not "adapt the law to the digital age" when revising it the next time. In Finnish law the construction is different. All radio communication is considered confidential unless otherwise stated, like e.g. for radio and TV programs. Receiving such confidential information is not criminalized, but sharing it further is.
jnty 8y ago
It may still be the case in the UK that it's illegal to receive ('intercept') radio communications not intended for your consumption, even if they're broadcast in the clear. It's not an unusual class of law, does make some sort of sense (even if enforcement is very hard!) and it seems like receiving ADS-B would be covered by that.

remus 8y ago

That seems very odd. Somewhat similar to putting up a billboard then saying it's illegal for people to read it, as the billboard wasn't intended for them.

heavenlyblue 8y ago
Someone putting a car in the middle of nowhere doesn’t leave it there for anyone ti pickup.
- upofadown 8y ago
  But it is pretty OK to look at the license plate...
  - izacus 8y ago
    Is it also OK for that license plate to be shown to the world together with its location and time?
- tialaramex 8y ago
  But we are not "picking up" the car. The car is still there for its owner. We only recorded the presence of the car (radio transmission) for our own purposes and it is unmolested.
  - heavenlyblue 8y ago
    Nah - you're specifically using technology that allows you to set any frequency you want, but instead, you're picking the frequency that is illegal for you to listen to and then you're recording it. Moreover - when you finally get caught, on which scale do you have to be doing it to get caught in the first place? Remember - laws don't exist outside reality. And let's be honest - the recording of the presence of a car is also quite illegal in certain jurisdictions. e.g. Germany.

Lunatic666 8y ago

It looks like it was legalized a while ago: https://lawfactory.de/PDF/Funkamateur_2010_03.pdf https://lawfactory.de/PDF/Funkamateur_2010_03.pdf (in German)

usr1106 8y ago
Thanks for this link. > It looks like it was legalized a while ago Interesting enough the law has not been changed. The article tells how officials forbade a trader to sell ADS-B receivers to the public. The trader went into court and won. The reasoning of the court was that the law forbids only listening. But because the ADS-B signal is not made audible, but visualized on a PC screen, the law is not applicable. This was only a medium court. Another one or a higher one might decide differently. Probably you should start lobbying that lawmakers will not "adapt the law to the digital age" when revising it the next time. In Finnish law the construction is different. All radio communication is considered confidential unless otherwise stated, like e.g. for radio and TV programs. Receiving such confidential information is not criminalized, but sharing it further is.

jnty 8y ago

It may still be the case in the UK that it's illegal to receive ('intercept') radio communications not intended for your consumption, even if they're broadcast in the clear. It's not an unusual class of law, does make some sort of sense (even if enforcement is very hard!) and it seems like receiving ADS-B would be covered by that.