While these days the use of drones for leisure purposes can still be done freely, the same might not be the case anymore in the years to come.
A design agency called Superflux reimagined our world with drones in the future.
Several feet from the ground, a drone hovers in the metropolis skies, it zooms in on a man walking, scans his face and checks the law enforcement database to see if he has any criminal records. Other drones hover in the streets, checking on vehicles’ emissions, spying on their drivers, checking against the law enforcement data base for potential illegal motorists.
This reimagination by Superflux may become a reality sooner than we’d actually like or think.
Several states are now drawing up laws that govern the use of these drones— and while you enjoy doing so, spying on your neighbors with your drones might soon become illegal.
For one, a senator in California has already introduced a bill that would extend property owners’ rights’ into airspace— making drones that hover over a property without the owner’s express permission, plain trespassers in the eyes of the law. In the state of North Carolina, it is illegal to use drones for surveillance purposes of both individuals and properties. Similarly, the use of drones for the surveillance of individuals who are either hunting or fishing in Tennessee is now considered a misdemeanor.
The case is slightly different in Iowa, however, wherein a law prohibits the state from using drones for traffic law enforcement.
The National Conference of State Legislatures says that around 35 states have already considered drawing up their own drone bills. Although some states are looking into restricting the general public’s use of these flying cameras, some states are actually trying to protect the vulnerability of this very same public from the government’s prying eyes— which can be in the form of these drones.
On top of these, President Barack Obama, together with the Federal Aviation Administration, came up with several new drone regulations, requiring drone operators to keep their drones in sight at all times, and that these drowns be under 25kg or 55lbs.
While lawmakers still seem to be hesitant about drawing up laws that would define the roles of these drones in our future, we all know that all it takes is just one controversial case involving the use of these drones to fire up regulations upon regulations that would restrict the free use of these flying cameras.
Let’s just hope drone owners don’t get too crazy anytime soon.
I have to laugh because this is beginning to sound like a science fiction movie! However, it sounds like a a reality in the very near future.I can’t imagine what it would be like. I think that these drones need to be restricted to certain areas. We cannot have them flying everywhere. It will seem like too much of a disturbance.
I hate the word “drone” with passion. It makes all RC quads sound like menacing death machines. Bigger quads can be destructive and your average phantom pilot rarely realizes it. There won’t be these flying everywhere since they require lots of maintenance, are expensive and only hobbyists like me use them mainly. I do agree that they need to be restricted, for example flying above large crowds is really dangerous. A license would be pretty sweet too, but it should be easy to get though.
I can actually see myself applying for a drone license. RC cars were part of my childhood and I would love to see my childhood being taken to the next level with drones! I literally cannot wait for the future.
Not really- if we can help it. We are only a very rare stage in our progress with this relatively new technology where we can effectively put regulations in place that have the actual possibility of being realistically tested within the next few years. If we get those regulations right, I don’t see drones being any more dangerous than cars or phones.