“This is a whole new world now and it has many complications. And the question is: how does it all get sorted out? What is an appropriate law enforcement use for a drone? When do you have to have a warrant? When don’t you have to have a warrant? What’s the appropriate governmental use for a drone?”. Dianne Feinstein, chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee, raises the questions that loom over the future of drone use in America. Drone use on United States’ soil requires many regulations by the FAA, and American citizens’ privacy is directly affected in their everyday lives.
Next time you’re craving a burrito, give the Burrito Bomber a call and a hovering drone will satisfy your needs. You may know drones to be called UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles. This is an aircraft controlled from the ground. Drones can be remotely controlled or controlled through software-controlled flight plans. One of the first recorded uses of drones was by Austrians on August 22, 1849. They launched roughly 200 balloons with attached bombs against the city of Venice. Less than two decades later, balloons were flown in the U.S. Civil War in 1862. Both Confederate and Union forces using them for tactical bombing purposes. In World War I, drones were used to take pictures and surveillance of the battlegrounds. Today, in the twentieth century, drones are assets to the protection of our country. Drones are often used to better society and keep American citizens safe. But as drones become more advanced, they are able to perform tasks that affect citizens more personally. “Already, drones are in use counting sea lions in Alaska, monitoring drug trafficking across our borders and conducting weather and environmental research. In fact, 327 drones to date are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly over U.S. soil” (Cheng, Howard, Meyer). The use of drones will not stop at burrito delivery, but this is one possible drone use in the future. Accordingly, your average joe is not permitted to freely operate these UAVs in the sky.
Many Americans will sleep easier at night knowing that drone regulations are very extensive. The FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, works for the safest and most efficient aerospace system in the world. The FAA is responsible for safety regulation, airspace and air traffic management, air navigation facilities, civil aviation abroad, and research and development. In the U.S., the FAA says recreational use of drones is legal, but it advises users to fly below 400 feet, and away from airports and away from populated areas. The FAA is working on rules governing commercial use of drones, but for now, it prohibits such use without the agency’s approval. Many companies and drone entrepreneurs have tried for exemptions from that rule, and the FAA recently approved six filmmaking companies to use the devices for their business. Many other U.S. businesses are using drones commercially anyway, hoping to avoid the FAA’s attention. As a U.S. citizen, you must abide by FAA policies to ensure appropriate use of your drone. FAA requires that your drone stay within a visual line of sight at all times. Operators may not fly their drone miles away without recognition and approval from the FAA. Also, it is very important to avoid people and stadiums while flying your UAV. UAVs flown within five miles of an airport must contact the control tower before flying. Before you are able to fly your drone, you are required to read the FAA’s special rules for model aircraft. While commercial drone use in the U.S. is still developing, so are the rules and regulations. Drones stir controversy on home soil because people disagree on how they should be used and regulated, but they help protect our home soil across the seas.
Drone use abroad is helping keep America safe. As a citizen, I cannot argue with that. Drone attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia have killed upwards of 3,500 militants, including dozens of high-level commanders suspected of organizing plots against the United States. According to President Obama, “dozens of highly skilled al Qaeda commanders, trainers, bomb makers and operatives have been taken off the battlefield”. Drones are effectively protecting their country, as they eliminate targets that may be too dangerous for soldiers to confront. “Since 9/11, over 95% of all non-battlefield targeted killings have been conducted by drones” (Drones ProCon). Drones clearly make a large impact in the twentieth century modern warfare. Back home, we feel safe because we are protected, but the U.S. may be creating more terrorists than we can kill. While drones may eliminate dangerous terrorists, families and friends of the deceased are at unrest because drone attacks seem inhumane. Many drone controllers suffer PTSD from their work as “aerial Snipers”. Their job disconnects them from the horrors of combat and killing. Americans are generally split down the middle in their opinions of using drones for killing abroad. “President Obama’s policy of ‘signature strikes’ allows the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the military’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to target anyone who fits a specific terrorist profile or engages in behavior the U.S. government associates with terrorists, regardless of whether or not they have been conclusively identified by name as enemy combatants” (Epatko). Many Americans who know the facts do not support the slaughter that drones can create. Innocent civilians can be killed, striking fear and anger into local populations. Also, drone strikes violate international law. Under international humanitarian law, the targeted individual must be directly participating in hostilities with the United States. As a citizen, you may scratch your head, because militarial drone use violates many moral values we share. As of now, many Americans do not support this faceless killing, but the benefits help keep our country safe. Back home, commercial drone use is expanding its possibilities.
There will be up to 30,000 drones in the year 2020. American citizens worry that this will threaten their privacy. UAVs can carry out many functions, and they are being put to use. Drones are capable of eliminating delivery jobs. Of course, we are a couple years away from that, but it could be a convenient and cheap solution. Businesses will look to take advantage of drones’ surveillance capabilities and delivery assistance. Drones also open up doors for law enforcement. UAVs can be powerful surveillance tools by carrying camera systems capable of license plate scanning and thermal imaging as well as radio equipment and other sensors. Police UAVs can assist arrests that would put an officer in danger. Police officers can also thank drones during on-foot pursuits. ELIMCO’s E300 drone can hover a wanted suspect on the run, ensuring there is no escape. It can cover a large amount of ground that makes surveillance a simple task. The Kaman Unmanned K-MAX multi-mission helicopter is an unmanned aerial truck (UAT) based on the K-MAX heavy-lift aerial truck helicopter. This UAV can bring supplies such as food and water, and withstand extreme heat that officers could not tolerate. But, what criminal would fear a flying robot compared to an armed police officer. Well, that’s why they have created drones capable of tazing suspects. There is no way you’re outrunning this enforcer. Law enforcers are finding new ways to make use of drones, and the possibilities seem never ending. As drones become more relevant in law enforcement, many Americans are becoming uneasy that their privacy might be threatened.
Should we freak out about drones looking in our windows? The FAA determines who can own and fly a drone, but the President is responsible for privacy precautions. It is simple in that any drone flying in the air has a useful purpose. Whether it is for construction or agriculture, those using drones are not intending to peek in your windows. The FAA will only allow registered UAVs with a beneficial purpose. There will be controls on using drones for recreation. “Tiny drones could go completely unnoticed while peering into the window of a home or place of worship” (Withern). This is frightening, but the FAA plans to find ways to eliminate any UAV lacking a legitimate purpose. Society fears the use and expansion of drones in America. Enforcing drone policies can be very hit or miss. The President is expected to designate the National Telecommunications and Information Administration as the agency responsible for issues related to drone privacy, but an official executive order has not been issued yet. Currently, 15 states have passed some kind of anti-drone legislation. Privacy issues are currently being sorted out and finalized as UAVs will soon be very common. As an American, you do not need to worry about a snooping drone… yet.
Drones, or UAVs are developing in the U.S., and they provide very useful technology to help advance society. America is preparing for drones to assist us with our everyday lives, and the government is making an effort to ensure the privacy and safety of all U.S. citizens.