Government pushes drone technology before real privacy practices can be put into place.
Over the course of the past year or so, many private citizens and politicians have voiced concern over the expanding drone industry. They are saying that the industry is moving too quickly and is not taking into consideration the privacy issues that will be a natural consequence of aircraft capable of spying on the activities of people on the ground.
So, who’s listening to these concerns and heeding these warnings? Not the U.S. government, that’s for sure. The nation appears to be plunging ahead with the development and planned activities for these drones, despite the fact that virtually no solid privacy rules have been put into place. It looks like drone technology is destined to be another in a long series of ways to spy on people without probable cause of wrongdoing and without warrants.
The government recently announced that six states have been selected to develop test sites for drones – Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia – in order to provide diverse climates, geography and air traffic environments.
The Federal Aviation Administration is working to develop operational guidelines for the commercial use of drones by the end of 2015, projecting that approximately 7,500 of them could be aloft in American skies within five years of gaining widespread access to American airspace.
The American Civil Liberties Union is not pleased with the expansion of the drone industry, especially before privacy practices are put into place. An ACLU spokesperson was quoted as saying that this activity moves the nation closer to “a surveillance society in which our every move is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinized by the authorities.”
Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky said, “I just don’t like the concept of drones flying over barbeques in New York to see whether you have a Big Gulp in your backyard or whether you are separating out your recyclables according to the city mandates.”
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta responded by saying that test sites must have a written plan for data use and retention, and will be required to conduct an annual review of privacy practices that involves public comment.
Sounds to me like their “privacy practices” have no teeth whatsoever.
How to you feel about drones flying overhead and watching what you do? Do you feel that drones represent a new and important form of technology, or will they be used in ways that will violate our constitutional rights? Please chime in with your thoughts on this important matter.
Who knows, Maybe the Goverment is Actually doing Test to see if Temperatures affect them, But I kind of Doubt it! They could also be trying to see who would want to Shoot them down. Nowadays, One should be Careful what is Said, or not around Unknown Individuals. As the saying goes, Just Lock and Load! Be Ready for just about anything. Then if ya wanna shoot a Drone down, no one is Aware of it. Just SAYIN. RB, USN(Ret)
Better be above my bullet reach, cause I will shot it down……..
Yes, drones are a problem. Used for good or for bad but knowing our society it usually turns out bad. I feel that even without drones, Drama Obama has in mind to become a dictator of the United States of America and nothing is going to stop him. He was voted into office the second time by the corruption of our voting procedures. Who is kidding who, he is out to destroy America and NO ONE is willing to impeach him???? Why do you think that is? Drama Obama should have been impeached his first term for all his lawlessness, now it is too late. He has already put in place the needed agenda to take over America. God bless America because we certainly need it. But what we really need is a miracle to stop Drama Obama.
I agree 100%!! Our Congress MUST stop him.
Donald Trump has said he is going to cancel many many Executive Orders that Obama has put into operation over the years !!
first the justice system let the drones fly, now they have hand held devices that can look thru walls and your house, where before the police had to have a warrant they are putting this device on the drones and the justice system is throwing the 4th amendment away, and allowing police to get dogs or swat to enter w/o warrant. here in Nevada police are stopping regular citizens and “taking ” their money without tickets or reasonable cause. our fourth amendment IS gone. not going. gone.
Obama was elected just as the past presidents over the years, they were put into office by special groups of powerful people who have thier own personal selfish agenda for America. What makes you think this lone man could have all of that power all by himself singlehandly? Lets not be so naive, there is much more going on in America than meets the eye and always have been and blaming the President is just what is intended. which keeps your mind from realizing the truth.
Drones are bad news for all of us. Why does any government need such spying capability? The world can watch CNN and know what we’re up to so the terrorists can plan accordingly so as to avoid detection. If our military knows its stuff, they know this. So why drones?
I think, like others have verbalized, it’s really about control of the citizenry of the US. I do believe the ultimate plan is to have a dictator in place, the current leading candidate is Obama. Then, once we have a dictator, he can proceed with aligning us with other world leaders until it becomes a one world government.
It may seem impossible, but look at how much has changed so rapidly. Our Constitution is no longer valued by lawmakers and Executive Orders are being written and signed right and left and no one seems to care. But, we should care!
Our rights have been and continue to be stopped daily. And we, the little frogs sitting in the caldron, don’t seem to realize the heat is creeping up where soon, it will be at the boiling point and we are all done.
So, beware, Unless there is a miracle to change the minds of the majority of the population and a new leader is elected (don’t trust any leader who is not elected) that truly cares about protecting the Constitution, we are all toast.
“The government recently announced that six states have been selected to develop test sites for drones – Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia – in order to provide diverse climates, geography and air traffic environments.” Now, do the REST of the math, kiddies . . . . Conducting drone overflights in N. Dakota, Texas and Alaska is intended to count and monitor Red-staters, firearms owners and deedholders of large pieces of property (three things the One World Government crowd can’t abide); Virginia gives them a look at millions of license plates parked outside of tony townhouses (so they know which lobbyists are screwing around on their spouses); metropolitan New York is a socialist cesspool, so nobody’s going to protest the additional rape of their Fourth Amendment protections; and Nevada is anybody’s guess. Certainly, they want to count attendance at Ignatius Piazza’s Front Sight resort above Vegas, but other than that, I’m not certain.
All America cheered when the Iron Curtain came down. Most Americans will cheer when the Government announces that they have stopped many Terrorist using the Drones.
Almost nobody realized that the Iron Curtain never came down, its location was enlarged to include America, Homeland Security is no more than Homeland Communism.
But it is the price all will paid for taking God and the Ten Commandments out of our Law books. You sow the wind, you Reap the Whirlwind.
The only way to actually save this nation is to repent of your sins and transgression, keep the commandments, and love your name even as you love yourself; In other words Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!
But as America will not repent, you must reap the whirlwind.
RLB
It isn’t just drones! My son & I were sitting in our 2nd floor condo having breakfast one morning when a helicopter flew by our window and the pilot waved at us as he went by! I can see both sides of this though; if these were deployed in high crime areas it might be of some help. Over forests it could help spot wildfires before they get out of control.
George Orwell pretty much described what is happening right now in his book “1984” only he missed by 32 years. I think 2016 will be the end of this Republic. I also feel that Obama will declare martial law in February 2016 and that will be the end. He has already got UN vehicles at many former military bases that were closed years ago, just waiting to go into action with UN soldiers ready and willing to shoot Americans not willing to submit to the reality of a DICTATOR named OBAMA!
I am against the use of drones. Except if hospitals can only use it to save life’s like for sneak antidotes, blood transfusion or organ donors and receptients that just has a very little time window to respond. For all additional purpose I am against it.
First thing: Stop calling this OUR government! It is not ours and appears to not have been for a very long time. Washington DC is a PRIVATE corporation, not answerable to the People. It does not represent us nor was it ever intended to. We have been duped for so long that most people do not really know this. There is a definite distinction between the united States under the Constitution and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CORPORATION. Do your research. You may not even owe income taxes to them. Ignorance may be bliss, but it is also destructive to our lives. Learn your Contitution; especially the 16th Amendment.
Major can of worms being opened here. Drones should only be used by the military. The whole concept is very very dangerous. Using the immagination there are no limits as to the use of drones. They can be tiny, small large and almost full scale or maybe even bigger. they can carry cameras like you are all talking about for privacy invasion . But they can carry so much more, they can be weaponized with weapons and bombs as well, they can carry alot of items that do not need to be used on the public (not just cameras). They should be outlawed for any goverment or civilian use except by the military. They can cause air traffic , traffic problems if it crashes into a moving vehicle on any roadway. They make people mad when people see them the first thing people think is they are being spied on by somone including the goverment. This is a bad idea. Me yes I will shoot it down if I see one or at least give it mu best shot (pardon the pun).
AS A RETIERD FLIGHT ENGINEER, DRONES IN AMERICAN AIRSPACE IS A DANGEROUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THE PEOPLE ARE SO SICK OF THIS BIG BROTHER WATCH ING US WIPE OUR BUTTS IS OUT OF HAND. IF ONE FLYS OVER MY HOUSE IT’S GOING DOWN. I WORKED FOR NOTHROP GRUMMEN AND DID WORK ON THE DRONES WHEN THEY WERE TOP SECREAT. I KNOW WHERE TO HIT ONE TO TAKE IT OUT. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FOURTH AMENEDEMNT?
So say it or are you scared?
Sandy Hook was a tragedy and millions has been spent in trying to further regulate the ownership of guns. BUT, what have the idiots in D.C. done for an even more tragic problem. Over 5+ children die from abuse & neglect in the U.S. each day. This is over 1,825 deaths for children, most 4 years old or younger. We, the USA, is the highest rate of deaths than any other industrialized nation.
While children dying is tragic, it has nothing to do with the topic of drones!
On the contrary. Jerry has a point about the overregulation of guns leading to an increase in death. The government causes the overregulation of everything including drones. We know drones were successfully used in the military for surveillance and even firing weapons at suspected enemies. Jerry fears this will happen in America and many more will die not just children caught in the line of fire or in some building targeted. Dream or think the impossible and someone will make it a reality.
Also Joyce, the millions spent on the drone program, could be better used to help those kids, instead of spying on them/us.
I think they are a total intrusion to all Americans & privacy, freedoms & our gov’t should not be allowed to do this to our country. Looks like a modern day Germany of 1938 in the USA today. It’s a shame what our men fought & died to preserve, that our gov’t has ended up doing to us what was done to foreign countries in the past. I thought we were a country of democracy not anarchism, fascism or tyranny.
Right Raymond. Unfortunately, we live in a “Republic” where votes are paid for. Trying to stop or even slow-down this “military industrial complex” Ike Eisenhower warned us of, is now “too big to fail” as are so many industries these days. No matter what we are told by our govt. it’ll come out as being a lie 10 or 20 years down the line. For instance, the report the Intelligence Committee just released. It’s been a closed case for over 10 years now. Why are they telling us now that they lied….so we’ll believe them in the future? Drones are not for anything but spying on us in order to fill all those prisons. I predict the number of people who grow their own herb in the States where it’s still illegal, is going to spike next year. But, we’ll be told that it was worth it because of all of the arrests that had been made as a result. We cried for more “transparency” in our govt. and got none while they keep getting more for their own profit. Sad, but it looks like our govt. is trying to push us into a bloody revolution so they can enact “FM 39-40”.
Sadly, that’s what they WANT you to think. What this is, is actually Bolshevism in race and in practice. Those who are behind the destruction of liberty in this land, are the same folk that led to the millions of dead White Russians, a century ago. National Socialism was all about UNIFYING the Germans against these aliens in our midst. Just sayin’…
You understand, of course, that if a state of “emergency” is declared and martial law enacted, that the standing president CANNOT be removed from office. He is able to become the dictator in deed and action and – by law – must stay in office until the “emergency” is declared over.
He is not planning to leave the office ‘ ; dictators must be ‘ removed ‘ from office . We are already living under ” Communist ” rule . In the 50’s , while in elem.’ school ; we were constantly warned of the evils of Communism “, I never give it a thought ; that I would ever live to see it in , “A m e r i c a “.
NOTHING like shooting down moving, FLYING targets. Lotta fun!
Since we have been flooded with Aliens from space. I feel we have the right to bring down any flying low to spy on USA citizens. Or make it legal to use them against our leaders also.
Shoot ’em down.
I was gardening outside the other day and to my surprise a drone flew right over my house. I quickly researched the style of drone online and found it to be a military surveillance drone. They are already flying in new jersey-be aware.
And New Jersey isn’t even one of the six states the feds are admitting to having drones in! The feds are lying and simply doing as they please.
WELL I DON’T LIVE THAT FAR FROM NORTHROP AND THE AIRFILED. SO I KNOW THERE IN NORTHROPS OLD HANGER HERE IN CALIFORNIA. I HAVE SEEN ON TAKE OFF FROM THE AIRPORT. YOU KNOW THERE LIEING SACKS OF SHIT.
We have been lied too, by the Feds.’ for quite a long time .
Government is the once dumb computer that developed Artificial Intelligence and will now do anything to prevent itself from being destroyed. It’s now putting things in place to help it out in the future to keep the host body from destroying it. How long are we going to live in this “matrix” and keep thinking we are living a dream life? All these intrusions in our lives have to be stopped and it takes a consensus large number of people to put a stop to all this.
This needs to be stopped! Is there any way to do that now?! I will not be seeing any here very soon, but when I do I might be getting some target practice!
If it is within range I may have found a new pasttime to sharpen my skills should I observe one hovering over my property.
Will the Drones also be spraying toxic substances on their trips as do the commercial airlines? We are paying our taxes to help sicken ourselves.
Drones, like most technology, can be used for both good and bad purposes. What matters is who are using them and for what purposes. Drones can be used for fire fighting, agriculture, search and rescue and many other purposes. They can also seek out and kill terrorists.
Google and other marketing companies already have more information about you than anyone else. I can “fly over” your property using Google Earth. So can a policeman or a terrorist. Is that good or bad? It was just announced that Russian hackers stole millions of passwords from hundreds of thousands of web sites. That is probably bad. But, I wouldn’t suggest shutting down the Internet. Cell phone texting causes many deaths. There are many instances of using techhology for both good and bad.
To control how technology is used depends on informed citizens voting honest people into public office at all levels and holding them accountable to the people. Sadly, most men I meet can talk about sports events and sports personalities for hours, even about games played years ago, but can’t even name their federal, state, and local representatives, much less talk with any level of knowledge about anything that they are doing or not doing. Is it any wonder that we have corruption in government?
Most seem to vote emotionally, without informing themselves beforehand or even knowing anything at all about the candidates or issues. Many people don’t vote at all, and they are perhaps the worst because they have given up or are too lazy to even try to protect their and their children’s futures. Every vote does count one way or the other and every non-vote or uninformed vote is a vote against good government.
So, while ignorance and apathy are rich breeding grounds for speculative fear and distrust of government in the public, they are also the license for corruption, abuse, and lack of respect for the public by government.
As long as we are content to elect the poor caliber of people as currently occupy the high seats of government, and they appoint the poor caliber of cronies into high positions and judgeships, we have much to fear from the use of drones, the IRS, government surveillance, the EPA, the Federal Reserve, and all government programs under their control.
As long as we pay more attention to celebrities and trivial amusement than to those who control our lives and the lives of future generations through the exercise of government, we are inviting corruption, self-serving, lawlessness, abuse, chaos, economic decline, and, finally, total tyranny.
Very well stated! You are correct–we haven’t all been responsible & allowed things to slide into tyranny! I have been paying attention & voting with these things in mind forever, but too many who feel the way I do don’t bother to vote or just vote for the incumbent rather than do appropriate research on candidates! WAKE UP PEOPLE!
It’s not the idots I worry about, although they can do grat harm. It’s the intelligent meglomanics like the ones we currently hve in Washinton that I worry about. Our only saving grace is that they are very disorganized. BUT the military is being downsized and weeded out at the highest levels and the Administrative departments are being armed and the leadership is being consolidated. Congress has been effectively marginalized and SCOYUS is just a compromising Annie and wouldn’t recognize the constitution if it fell over it. The only thing that strikes fear in the heart of these people is the fact that the second amendment is largely in place and the number of deer hunting liciences is larger than all the standing armies in the free world [that is a lot of guns].
Who is Tom Kenimer? Your commentary is probably the most informed and intelligent I have read on any topic posted re. an internet blog. I would love to spend an hour with you discussing many topics of concern re. our Nation, our World, and humanity. You and Dr. Ben Carson could help put a stop to the nonsense going on in our Nation and probably be instrumental in helping her make a ‘U Turn’ before we loose it. Thank you Sir for your highly intelligent and informed commentary.
You make some very good points ‘ ; most are preoccupied ‘ with ‘ other ‘ things ; which have little importance ‘ in their lives . I find many of them to think of themselves , as being highly, ed ‘ yu ‘ muck ‘ kate ‘ ed ” , also .
Big talk for a wimp. God’s got this. Repent to the Father and be given to the Son then we’ll talk. Good luck.
Nathan, you hit it right on the head. People start doing for yourself and check all this out. The government it NOT out for your intrest but for their own.
This is just another way the government can spy on us when ever they want to. Don’t worry about the drones, they can be stopped by getting rid of the people that operate them.
Let’s use drones to spy on the government. Turn it around. If they can do it secretly…so can we.
Just one more step in the complete socialism of our once free country. However, it could spawn a new industry, one that makes some sort of deflection device that would not allow the drones to see what you’re doing. Something like the radar deflectors, or the missile deflectors.
Frank,
On FOX News (yesterday) they were exposing that the CIA has been cyber spying on CONGRESS!!!
Let’s see how they like them apples! Of course you won’t here a peep out the mainstream media about this, since there is some question as to, “were they monitoring only Republicans, Independent and Tea Party types? Hmmmm? Wonder who in the administration authorized this?
God Save America,
Orrin
Drones are a total infringement of our privacy and our rights as stated in the constitution. Northrup helped develope these horrifying machines and they will never stop. This is the great and final inmvasion of our privacy. America is screwed and the People are screwed as well. I am sick over what’s happened to america. Where can we go?? Are all the border drones and troops there to keep people out or simply to keep WE the People in???
Go to Canada dude. Freedom still reigns in the Great White North.
Yes as long as you don’t require the FREEDOM to DEFEND your self AND your Family with a GUN.
You’re joking, right?
No ‘ , he is not ” joking ‘ .
I won’t go into the obvious, but will start with the nonobvious answer: In light of the apparent lack of public safety planning, not to mention the privacy issues, I think drones could potentially be a hazard to public and private air transportation (interstate commerce) As a former private pilot, I hung up my headphones years ago when the airways became clogged with the same kind of people with bad judgment that we encounter on the highways of America. A Radio Shack ad received in my E-mail was hawking “make your own drone”. sent chills up my spine. Can you imagine having all this hardware over our heads that could crash to earth in addition to the hardware already up there? One thing that impressed me in the fifth grade way back in 1940-something was learning how the Soviet Union kept their citizens in line and had spies everywhere, even the children were recruited to spy on their own parents. I felt so thankful for being in America, the land of the free and home of the secure—-little did I know that I would be facing this kind of society in my own life. It makes me content to be nearer to the end than the beginning! Dee Preston asks “where can we go??” I say to her as I say to everyone—-“WE THE PEOPLE shouldn’t have to go ANYWHERE to escape this tyrannical form of government that is coming our way like a locomotive that cannot be stopped–but I, at my age, am willing to sacrifice my life to help see that it doesn’t. Long live our Constitution and our TEA Party!
We don’t go anywhere, Dee. We stay here and fight for what we believe in …. Initially by voting IN like minded citizens but we must get everyone we know out to vote.
The government no longer serves the people, it serves itself. The few elitists that sponsor FEMA, the “Patriot Act”, Gun control and inevitable confiscation, GMO’s, unending surveilance, the inability of our country to be enegy independant due to invented fake environmental concerns and the dictating to public schools what is permitted and not permitted to be taught are all synptoms of a sick country on the verge of collapse. Let’s add to it by allowing another 12 or 13 million illegal aliens in. This is obviously not what our forefathers had in mind for this country. The one world government advocates will stop at nothing to control the masses. we no longer have a representative republic. It’s been replace by greasy handed corrupt self serving politicians with no interest in representing their constituents. They pass Osama / Obama Care without reviewing or reading the contents of the Bill, yet they exempt themselves from Osama / Obamacare prefering for themselves a better and more lucrative health coverage package. I’m sick of them and sick of our corrupt government. Did Sandy Hook really occur? Were the twin towers and building #7 destroyed by terrorists in airplanes? Did an airplane crash into the Pentagon or was it a missle. Are GMO’s safe and if so, why are hey banned in Europe. Is the company (Monsanto) that brought us GMO’s reputable; after all it is the same company that provided us with those safe PCB’s and Agent Orange laced with Dioxin – one of the most poisonus substanced on earth. They also produce “Roundup” and a soybean genetically engineered to sustain applications of “Roundup” so that the weeds in the soybean feilds die while the soy plants survive. After harvest, the soy is fed to cattle marketed to the general public as part of our food supply. I dare say the senators, congressmen and the rest of the elitists in our government don’t partake of that contaminated beef. yeah,,,, they have our best interests in mind – and I also believe in the Easter Bunny…. NAB Jr.
NAB Jr.
Sandy Hook was real and tragic so don’t even go there….
Yes Patrick, and YOU know this for a fact because YOU were one of the people that were KILLED right?