Begin forwarded message:
> From: Steve Zeltzer <[email protected]> > Date: April 20, 2012 6:54:29 AM PDT > To: Labortech list <[email protected]> > Subject: [LaborTech] Drone Use Takes Off on the Home Front For Police And > Universities > Reply-To: [email protected] > > Drone Use Takes Off on the Home Front For Police & Universities > http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304331204577354331959335276.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird > > By ANDY PASZTOR and JOHN EMSHWILLER > > With little public attention, dozens of universities and law-enforcement > agencies have been given approval by federal aviation regulators to use > unmanned aircraft known as drones, according to documents obtained via > Freedom of Information Act requests by an advocacy group. > > The more than 50 institutions that received approvals to operate remotely > piloted aircraft are more varied than many outsiders and privacy experts > previously knew. They include not only agencies such as the Department of > Homeland Security but also smaller ones such as the police departments in > North Little Rock, Ark., and Ogden, Utah, as well the University of North > Dakota and Nicholls State University in Louisiana. > > Enlarge Image > > > Associated Press > In February, the Mesa County Sheriff's Department in Colorado tested a drone > with an infrared camera. It measures about 36 inch wide. > > The information, released by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, came to > light as the Federal Aviation Administration gears up to advance the > widespread use of the drones. By the fall of 2015, Congress wants the agency > to integrate remotely piloted aircraft throughout U.S. airspace. > > Although the documents don't indicate how the aircraft will be used, the > disclosures likely will fuel privacy concerns involving drones. > > On Thursday, Democratic Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Republican > Rep. Joe Barton of Texas asked the acting administrator of the FAA to answer > questions about the privacy implications of increased drone use. > > Organizations That Have Sought to Use Drones > > See a list of what groups have requested licenses from the FAA to use drones, > and the status of that request. > > View Interactive > > More photos and interactive graphics > "Many drones are designed to carry surveillance equipment, including video > cameras, infrared thermal imagers, radar and wireless network 'sniffers,' " > the representatives wrote in their letter to Michael Huerta. Now that the > FAA, under pressure from lawmakers and businesses, is pushing to increase the > use of drones, it has "the responsibility to ensure that the privacy of > individuals is protected and that the public is fully informed about who is > using drones in public airspace and why," they wrote. > > The FAA declined to comment. > > As part of the push to increase uses of civilian drones, nearly 50 companies > are developing some 150 different systems, ranging from miniature models to > those with wingspans comparable to airliners. > > The FAA previously said it has approved dozens of nonmilitary uses of > unmanned aircraft, ranging from law enforcement to firefighting to wildlife > monitoring. Drones also have been used for news coverage, mapping and > agricultural applications. > > Read More > > Electronic Frontier Foundation website > The University of North Dakota uses drones in connection with an > undergraduate degree program in unmanned aircraft systems it started in 2009. > Al Palmer, a university official involved in the program, said about 78 > students have declared majors in the field and that graduates have found jobs > with drone manufacturers or operators. > > The North Little Rock police department has been working with a small > pilotless helicopter since 2008, said Sgt. Pat Thessing. It is currently > training with the aircraft over unpopulated areas only, while it awaits FAA > rules for use of such aircraft elsewhere. It hopes to use them for > surveillance of high-crime neighborhoods, during drug investigations and > other work. > > The list obtained by the EFF represents all entities that have applied for > drone permits, but doesn't show how many drones each entity has, said > Jennifer Lynch, a staff attorney with the group. FAA officials have talked > about the existence of about 300 active permits. > > Recipients of these special permits must fly in a certain geographic area > outlined on their application. Currently, the FAA typically doesn't allow > drones to fly through airspace where commercial, business and private planes > travel. > > Ryan Calo, who conducts research into privacy and robotics at Stanford Law > School, said the domestic use of drones will likely grow as more machines are > brought back from war and as prices fall. > > "The very same drone that was staking out a nest of insurgents and possibly > shooting them could be deployed in New York for surveillance" after removal > of weaponry, Mr. Calo said. He said the use of drones could spark a wider > debate about privacy because people aren't accustomed to such technology. "If > you bring back a tank from Afghanistan, you don't expect it to show up in a > park," he said. > > —Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Andrew Morse > contributed to this article. > Write to Andy Pasztor at [email protected] and John Emshwiller > [email protected] > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "LaborTech" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/labortech?hl=en. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
