Drones, Misinformation, and Public Trust
On December 17, I joined CNN Newsroom with Max Foster to discuss the surge in drone sightings across the U.S. and the public confusion surrounding them. The lack of definitive information has fueled conspiracy theories, raising concerns about both national security and government transparency.
What’s Really Happening?
The reports fall into three main categories:
Misidentifications – Many so-called drone sightings are actually conventional aircraft. People look up, see something far away, moving slowly, and assume it’s a drone. In a recent example on X (formerly Twitter) a person mistook a United Airlines flight for a drone.
Legal Drones in Restricted Areas – Some drones are confirmed as such, but flying a drone isn’t inherently illegal—only flying in restricted spaces is.
Unidentified Aerial Activity – The small but most intriguing category involves objects that can’t easily be classified as drones or manned aircraft. These incidents, particularly near sensitive sites, have sparked public anxiety.
Sorting Facts from Fiction
The numbers paint a clearer picture:
The U.S. has over a million registered drones, with many more operating unregistered.
A White House call with the FBI led to a tip line, which received 5,000 reports. Only about 100 were deemed worth investigating.
Many sightings coincide with standard flight paths near major airports like JFK and Newark, meaning they are likely just aircraft seen from unusual angles.
Adding to the chaos, some civilians have started launching their own drones to track unidentified ones—only complicating the situation further.
A Crisis of Trust
Beyond drones, this issue highlights a broader problem: the public’s declining trust in government information. Many people recall the lack of timely updates and conflicting reports surrounding the Chinese spy balloon, fueling skepticism about what authorities disclose. Elected officials and citizens alike feel they aren’t getting the full story, whether or not the information they receive is technically accurate.
Foreign Threats and Testing U.S. Defenses
Could foreign actors be involved? If an adversary wanted to conduct aerial surveillance, lighting up drones with flashing lights and strobe effects would be a terrible strategy. However, one plausible theory is that some of these visible flights could be probing missions—tests designed to measure U.S. response times and countermeasures before deploying less conspicuous drones for actual espionage.
What’s Next?
As these sightings continue, the government needs to do more than just reassure the public—it must provide clear, credible explanations. Otherwise, misinformation will fill the void, exacerbating public distrust and making real security threats harder to identify.
What do you think? Are these sightings overblown, or is there more to the story? Let me know in the comments.