Watching You Watching Me: Privacy Concerns In The Use Of Drones

As a uniquely transformative technology, drones have the capacity to enrich our daily lives with innovative services, safer infrastructure, new forms of recreation, and countless  economic opportunities. These positive characteristics, however, cannot erase the risks drones pose to individual privacy. But the FAA opted not to include any privacy provisions in Part 107 for one important reason: it couldn't.

Drone technology sparks concerns about personal privacy, data privacy, private property rights, and intellectual property rights—often stemming from cameras and other high-tech equipment installed on drones. But there appears to be little agreement about the extent to which drone integration poses risks for privacy intrusions, how privacy concerns should be addressed, and the FAA's role in efforts to address these concerns.