Drones in public hands a threat to national security?

[ButterSnatcher]

Can't create threads in value added discussion so this is the right place ...(I Think)

Interesting take on drones. I personally haven't made a drone nor really know how to, but its interesting the fact they want to regulate drones because of "terrorist" reasons. They do mention however possibilities of neighbors spying on each other etc. so privacy there. But its not like i see line ups of people going out making drones with cameras to spy on people, more like hacker spaces making them to get brilliant minds together. If they start regulating this whats next RC planes? Who is this law really in favor of because to me it doesn't seem like its something that is really necessary right now. Am i seeing this all wrong is there some other side to this argument?

The influential head of Google, Eric Schmidt, has called for civilian drone technology to be regulated, warning about privacy and security concerns.

Cheap miniature versions of the unmanned aircraft used by militaries could fall into the wrong hands, he told the UK's Guardian newspaper.

Quarrelling neighbours, he suggested, might end up buzzing each other with private surveillance drones.

He also warned of the risk of terrorists using the new technology.

Mr Schmidt is believed to have close relations with US President Barack Obama, whom he advises on matters of science and technology.

"You're having a dispute with your neighbour," he told The Guardian in an interview printed on Saturday.
Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt on 22 March 2013 Eric Schmidt is one of the world's leading figures in digital technology

"How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their backyard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?"

Warning of mini-drones' potential as a terrorist weapon, he said: "I'm not going to pass judgment on whether armies should exist, but I would prefer to not spread and democratise the ability to fight war to every single human being."

"It's got to be regulated... It's one thing for governments, who have some legitimacy in what they're doing, but have other people doing it... it's not going to happen."

Small drones, such as flying cameras, are already available worldwide, and non-military surveillance were recently introduced to track poachers in the remote Indian state of Assam.

The US and Israel have led the way in recent years in using drones as weapons of war as well as for surveillance.

America's Federal Aviation Administration is currently exploring how commercial drones, or unmanned aircraft systems, can be safely introduced into US airspace.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22134898

[TheCotMan]

Re: Drones in public hands a threat to national security?

[ Forum mod commentary: When Value Added News was added, the idea was for mods to move into this forum, threads that included citation with link to a news story, and intelligent commentary and questions could get moved to Value Added News, and once there, anyone that can reply to threads in places like "Community Talk" can also reply here. ]

[ Forum mod commentary: this is a good topic, but for people that reply, please avoid direction of law like "there should be a law" or "there should not be a law" to push a view, or political agenda. There is no problem with pointing out problems and possible solutions to problems. :-) ]

[ I moved this thread here from Community Talk.]

Thanks!

[Can't_Code4Crap]

Re: Drones in public hands a threat to national security?

I think drones should be regulated in some way but not for national security reasons necessarily. It doesn't take a genius to come up with a ton of plausible public safety issues. Say Billy Bob forgets to maintain his equipment, power failure ensues, drone drops on your toddlers head. Billy Bob claims his handicraft is meticulous and drone was hacked by NoGoodNick Defconners (highly plausible). Evidence is destroyed in drop along with your 4 year old daughter's head...

I'm actually surprised that more people aren't hurt with RC's though which is a good point to bring up Anyone know of any state/local laws that apply to those? Like you can only fly them in certain non-residential areas and so on?

[skiboy]

Re: Drones in public hands a threat to national security?

First, define drone. Is it based on the height that they fly? Their size? Their technological capabilities? If someone puts a GoPro on a toy helicopter, is that a drone?

And this is where we get into a difficult legal area.

Judging by the Government's previous bills on technology, which are overly broad, I'd have to say that drones flying at a reasonable height (e.g. not hitting airplanes) should have very little regulation.

If you want to arrest somebody for flying a drone, you should have to be able to show that there was a purposeful breach of privacy.

[astcell]

Re: Drones in public hands a threat to national security?

We can already fly kites and remote control airplanes. Are they drones? Are they called drones when they become weaponized? Such technology is not limited to the government any more. Heck Virgin is going to have decent space travel again before NASA does.