Drone drones policy privacy UAV unmanned aerial vehicles

Senate Commerce Committee Considers Rules for Domestic Drones

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on "the Future of Unmanned Aviation in the U.S. Economy: Safety and Privacy Considerations." Senator Diane Feinstein noted the threat that drones pose to both privacy and safety, and described how a drone once flew outside her home during a demonstration. Later in the hearing, Senator Ed Markey, who held up an AR Parrot Drone during the hearing, has written legislation to safeguard privacy. And Senator Cory Booker said that drones put him "between my Star Trek aspirations and my Terminator fears." The Committee heard testimony from FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. The FAA is responsible for integrating drones into the U.S. domestic airspace by 2015. EPIC had petitioned the FAA to implement privacy rules for drones. The FAA responded to EPIC's petition and has required, as an interim step, each of the six selected test sites for drone deployment to establish a public privacy policy. For more information, see EPIC: Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Drones.

January 17, 2014| Share: