UAVs: Hinderance to Privacy?

        The development of Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAV) was a major success for the American military. The deployment of these aircraft, controlled by a pilot on the ground hundres of miles away, allowed eyes, ears, and weapons to be transported to a conflict zone without threat to the life of the pilot. With this success in mind, we now see the use of UAVs in the civilian world working closely with law enforcement, border patrol, and emergency services. 

One topic that has seen extensive debate is the privacy that is either granted, or viewed by some, removed from the American people. These aircraft have high definition cameras with infrared sensors and night vision capabilities. With this technology, many believe that this will impact our privacy as citizens.  According to Rep. Ted Poe, a Texas Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on crime, terrorism, and homeland security, "We need to establish clear guidelines about when and for what purpose law enforcement agencies, private citizens, and businesses can use drones." I feel that these guidelines will not only help the nation’s aviation infrastructure, but will also help calm any nerves from the general public. 

This “reasonable expectation” of privacy that the general public has must be viewed by an unbiased eye and the Supreme Court is attempting to do this.  As noted by Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, in the same article, "As the number of drones rises, so, too, will the number of suspects," he said. He also asked a very interesting question pertaining to the public’s idea of privacy in a very simple matter. He questioned, "During the civil rights movement, would activists have left their homes if they knew they were being monitored from cameras 30,000 feet above?"

A bill proposed by Poe goes to address this matter. The bill would prohibit the FAA from issuing a drone permit for use by law enforcement unless it is related to a warrant for the investigation of a felony, with some exceptions. It also would prohibit individuals from conducting surveillance on private individuals or private property without the owner's consent. These are the types of changes that I feel the public (who is limited in aviation knowledge) would appreciate more so than hearing about the cameras and weapons flying around them as they live their lives.