Robotic drones are the new face of aircraft systems and are expected to be allowed into the airspace soon. These robotic drones are commonly referred to as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They are used by law enforcement for border patrol and civilian surveillance. They are used by both law enforcement and civilians at the same time. However, the Federal Aviation Administration alongside the Congress and other organizations have instituted regulations over the use of robotic drones since there are several of negative issues associated with allowing the unlimited use of these devices.
One of the key issues looked at is the issue of privacy which is important to citizens. Robotic drones are fitted with cameras and may be used to collect surveillance data on civilians or other organizations. This, at some point, is infringing on the provisions of the Fourth Amendment that entitle an individual to privacy. Institution of policy to regulate the use of robotic drones is important in that it helps to protect the privacy of the citizen. In law enforcement, a warrant must be obtained, and there still are discussions on whether to allow the public use of drones for surveillance (Dolan & Thompson, 2013).
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Drones can also be used to save lives, locate missing persons and fight crime at the same time hence it is important that the policies constructed do not place impediments on these actions (Howell, 2013). There are limitations as to how they should be used, what height they should be flown to, whether cameras should be used or not and there is a complete ban on the institution of weapons in these UAVs. It should be noted that to save a life or fight crime; one needs accurate information so there should be flexible rules on the operation of robotic drones to make the process easy. Otherwise, more harm will be caused, or it will be difficult to use these drones for the benefit of civilians.
The government should license civilian operators for accountability and responsibility. Licensing will ensure that the operators stick to the codes of operation that are set and failure to which, the license shall be revoked. This shall make people more accountable and also shall help set regulations on the amount of aircraft flying in the naval airspace to avoid heavy traffic. Allowing them to remain anonymous may lead to recreational and malicious acquisition and use of UAVs that may endanger citizens.
Civilians are currently purchasing robotic drones but under strict regulations. It is not allowed that these drones be fitted with weapons. However, it would be beneficial to national security at some point (Gallagher, 2013). For instance, the law enforcement systems shall be well enabled to deliver quick responses to terrorist attacks using civilian drones rather than go through the whole process of obtaining warrants and accessing the military drones which are big and conspicuous.
The government should also set a maximum and minimum altitude for flying civilian robotic drones. This is because people are entitled to privacy. For instance, if someone flew low enough to spy on private property without the aid of a camera, this would mean they are trespassing which is illegal. Setting limits will help protect privacy. In general, there should be restrictions on camera use by drones. This is because in most times, the stipulated intention of using these cameras is not always the actual intention and also the use of cameras infringes on the privacy of individuals. It should be noted that the use of cameras on civilians unless by law enforcement to obtain specific information can be termed as invasive surveillance practices which are not legal or acceptable (Wright, 2013).
References
Dolan, M.A. & Thompson, R.M. (2013). Integration of Drones into Domestic Airspace: Selected Legal Issues. Congressional Research Service . Retrieved from: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42940.pdf
Gallagher, R. (2013, July 26). FBI Fesses Up: We’ve used Domestic Drones 10 Times. Slate. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/07/26/fbi_admits_in_letter_to_rand_paul_that_it_s_used_domestic_drones_10_times.html
Howell, K. (2013, November 7). Invasion: 7,500 drones in U.S. airspace within 5 years, FAA warns. The Washington Times . Retrieved from: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/7/faa-chief-announces-progress-drone-regs/
Wright, J. (2013). Necessary and Inherent Limits to Internet Surveillance. Journal on Internet Regulation, 2 (3), DOI: 10.14763/2013.3.184
