>> why do people need an account to activate/fly?

So when they find your drone crashed into the Whitehouse lawn, they can track it back to you rather than rely on you to phone in a confession.

https://slate.com/technology/2015/03/white-house-lawn-drone-...

> The 31-year-old Usman lost control of a Phantom FC40 drone owned by a friend early that morning, and telephoned his employers and the Secret Service to report the incident when he learned the small model aircraft had been found on the White House grounds.