New Bill Will Allow US Authorities To Shoot Down Private Drones

Just like all pieces of technology, how it is used depends on the user, where some might use it for good, while others use it for nefarious purposes. Drones are a good example of this, where some might use them for aerial photography and videography, while others make themselves a nuisance by spying on their neighbors and going to places they shouldn’t.

However in the future it seems that there is a chance that if law enforcement deems you to be a nuisance with your drone, they will have the right to shoot it down. This is thanks to a new bill passed by the US Congress called the FAA Reauthorization Act, in which part of the act will allow US authorities to shoot down private drones, and without the need for a warrant.

Unsurprisingly there are many who are objecting to this as it does leave it open to abuse. Since no warrant is necessary, it means that law enforcement can shoot down private drones for any justifiable reason. However it has been pointed out that there has been a rise of individuals abusing drones, not to mention there have also been reports of how terrorists are also turning to drones for their attacks.

However according to an ACLU spokesperson who spoke to TechCrunch, “These provisions give the government virtually carte blanche to surveil, seize, or even shoot a drone out of the sky — whether owned by journalists or commercial entities — with no oversight or due process,” and that it will “undermine the use of drones by journalists, which have enabled reporting on critical issues like hurricane damage and protests at Standing Rock.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Robots
Tags: Drones, Legal