One day my friend came over and in his dad’s car was a drone. It was sitting there in the backseat and I was so confused why he had it, so I asked. He replied back with “The thing is really fun to fly,” and  I asked if we could go fly it. Immediately he grabbed the drone, clicked the “power” button, and sent it up and away. The drone hooks up to a device and through the screen which shows all the footage of the camera. The operator can then see where the drone is going. We saw barns and got a great view of the lake I live by, but then we went lower. We could see houses and into windows, and this is when I started to think, “are we invading their privacy?”. Drones are one of the newest technologies and one of the newest threat to our privacy. With very little laws and regulations on them, I think they need to be tightened. Today I’ll be showing the laws of drones, governmental and recreational uses, and solutions to this problem of privacy.

First, the laws on drones. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) says that there are “no pilot requirements” (when you are flying for fun) as of February 10th, 2017. The FAA has already made new laws for flying a drone for work. Such as specific weight and measurement laws. Although when flying for fun, the rules are still as laidback as could be. This concerns me because everyone who has about $300 can go and fly a drone around, anywhere they want. I think about how easy it is for people to spy in through windows, and to do other harassing actions that should not be allowed. The only law that really applies to recreational flyers is that the drone must be “5 miles from airports without prior notification to airport and air traffic control” from the FAA, in 2017. Another law is that the drone must be under 55 pounds, otherwise the drone must  be registered. Most drones are under 55 pounds so the registration barely exists. Being able to own a drone is too simple right now and the rules must be tightened.

Second, recreational usages of drones. About every drone produced now has a high resolution camera equipped. Marc Rotenberg, the president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, said “the FAA needs to ensure that commercial drones are not used for stalking, harassment, or to pry into people’s private lives.” This statement centers in on what drones need to be limited to. People should be licensed to be able to operate a drone. They also should have a reason to use the drone, such as photography or maybe even racing. I am not against the use of drones, I’m against the little amount of laws on drones. Privacy is the number one issue with the rules because there is no laws on privacy stated on the FAA. Next is a little bigger use for drones.

Third is the governmental usages for drones. Police are attempting to use drones for searches and even patrolling nowadays with the new technology. The number one concern with all of this is our privacy and the drones having camera footage of our homes and of us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The police want to set up drones to remotely patrol a certain area by going around in a circle with a camera monitoring everything. This method could definitely help with border patrol or other high crime areas, but in cities or towns where crime is low I think there is no need. In 2013, governor of Florida, Rick Scott signed a law that stated “cops can use drones if they have a warrant, or their use is justified by imminent danger”. I think this gives the citizens of Florida a little bigger sense of privacy and I’m sure that most Floridians are happier now. Also the government uses drones for fighting overseas in war torn countries such as Syria and Iraq. This usage doesn’t have any privacy issues involved, but there is one problem that lots of Americans are alarmed about, the drone strikes that are killing civilians. The bureau of investigative journalism states that the US has launched 473 strikes, since 2009, resulting in 2,372 confirmed kills. Although there are arguments that say that of those 2,372 kills, almost 300 are civilians, but there is no proof stating that they are enemy kills nor civilian kills.

Lastly, solutions to this sense of privacy being lost. I myself think exactly like Marc Rotenberg, I think the FAA needs to tighten up drone laws. There should be specific heights and distances regarding how close a drone may fly to a person’s house. The FAA could also just ban drone flying in neighborhoods all together. Drones should only be allowed to fly on public land or their own privately owned property. The FAA should also make a test to become a drone operator or pilot, because with the laws right now anyone who has the money to buy a drone can fly one. The laws could maybe even tighten up to the point where drone operators need a specific license to attach a camera to the drone. The FAA should also insert an age limit to operate a drone.

In conclusion, I showed the laws on drones, the recreational and governmental uses for drones, and solutions to this problem of privacy. When I was watching my friend’s father fly around that drone, I thought to myself, “are we invading their privacy?” I am glad I was considering the feelings of others before my own fun, and I hope the FAA thinks that and tightens up some laws.