mediated communication #3

Brookings.edu- Civilian Drones, Privacy and the Federal-State Balance

This nice article showed up on Twitter the other day. All of us want our privacy. It seems that the discussion is about who should control the regulation of private drone use; the state or the federal government. Can there really be a balance? Does the use of drones invade our privacy? “which drones (government or private) will present the greatest threats to privacy (2).” I’m thinking that any use of drones, recording our conversations or our comings and goings is a breach of our privacy. It’s like having someone walk into your yard uninvited.

“Unlike some state houses, the U.S. Congress hasn’t seriously considered or passed a bill to set general privacy standards or to regulate drones and privacy specifically (3).” “The past few years have seen a raft of proposed and enacted laws, principally or exclusively aimed at restricting drone surveillance by public officials. Some states, like Florida, Utah, and Montana, generally preclude police from using drones, unless officers obtain a judicial warrant founded on probable cause or confront an emergency.5 (4).” This seems a bit more reasonable but who gets to decide when it’s warranted? Is it really necessary to have drones at all?

“The prohibitions against invading privacy, intruding upon seclusion, publishing private facts, and stalking all might be implicated when a drone, heavily sensored up, hears or sees somebody who doesn’t wish to be heard or seen.15 (10).” Is this just another form of invasion of our privacy? If private drones are put into the wrong hands, this could be a serious problem.

I find this to be partly cogent due to the fact that these drones are in use and I’m sure they provide some measure of help in certain situations. However, I feel it’s fallacious due to the underlying implications that the government, state or otherwise, has the right to intrude on our privacy. Perhaps they do if they have suspicions that we are doing something against the law. However there are laws that protect us until proven guilty. Not only this, but there are also laws against videoing and sound recording civilians without them knowing. If private drones become common place. What’s to keep them out of the hands of the peeping tom or the stalker?  Personally, I would be upset if I knew that someone was watching me without my consent. Where is the privacy line? who gets to determine where it is set? Certainly not the government. Or can they?