ACLU Releases Report on Use of Drones In America

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 01:15:02 PM EST
Tags: drones (all tags)

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The ACLU has released a report on domestic use of drones. Shorter version: They are coming, to be used as tools of law enforcement in spying on all of us.

Unmanned aircraft carrying cameras raise the prospect of a significant new avenue for the surveillance of American life. Many Americans have heard of these aircraft, commonly called “drones,” because of their use overseas in places like Afghanistan and Yemen. But drones are coming to America, and, as an ACLU report concludes, protections must be put in place to guard our privacy

It is anticipated that the FAA will propose new rules early in 2012 that would make it easier for law enforcement agencies to get permission to use drones in the U.S.

The full report is here.

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ACLU Releases Report on Use of Drones In America | 11 comments (11 topical)

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I've been following ... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by Robot Porter on Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 01:59:20 PM EST

this issue for awhile. Good that the ACLU is on top of this. Hopefully, the libertarians on the right will get on it as well.

: Yes, it is all pretty ominous. (5.00 / 3) (#3)
by KeysDan on Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 02:26:57 PM EST

Domestic drones,military patrolling of US streets, military detentions and assassinations of US citizens, militarization of local law enforcement.. even in the tragic murder/suicide case of Ross Truett Ashley and Officer Deriek Crouse, the responding police officer arrived in full battle outfitting carrying a machine gun. Now, the April 2007 catastrophe at Virginia Tech where Seung Hui Cho killed 32 and wounded 25 before he took his own life deserves ample caution, but the permanence of such gear is daunting for our society. And, of course, the use of tear gas and flash bombs for crowd compliance and control of protests is another peep show.

The most remarkable thing about drones (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by BobTinKY on Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 02:08:12 PM EST

in how they only get the bad guys.

I see the ACLU... (5.00 / 4) (#4)
by kdog on Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 02:39:38 PM EST

keeping very busy on this front, and god blees them for that.

I should clarify that I can't literally "see" the ACLU keeping busy, spy drone home edition isn't available as of yet, maybe by Christmas 2012.

More 1984. (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by lentinel on Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 04:06:31 PM EST

Congress wants to grant Obama the power to indefinitely detain American citizens without charge or trial. He'll take it. No problem.

In addition, our government will be able to spy on us using drones.

Attorney General Holder, who thinks that we need the Patriot Act "more than ever", must be doing a dance of joy.

G.W.Bush's third term continues unabated.

Day Late, Dollar Short (none / 0) (#5)
by ScottW714 on Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 04:01:06 PM EST

Houston has had one since early 2010, we also got a new helicopter.

To me, not bigger deal then police a chopper, now if they got 50 of them, we can talk. Houston is too big to worry about a drone or two spying on anyone.

They were used during the wildfires with great success in tracking them.

Also this is Texas, I suspect one will be shot down soon enough if they start getting too close for comfort. We are a stickler for privacy and there is a ceiling on everyone's property they can't break.

The government, at least the Fed, has satellites that no drone will ever be able to compete with. If they want to watch me or you they will, drone or no drone.

I don't like it, but it is reality, getting upset over something they already have the ability to do seems a little... misplaced.

: It seems they dont (none / 0) (#7)
by Amiss on Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 10:51:28 PM EST

have to be shot down, just "hack" the GPS like the Iranians did. That in itself could be very dangerous.

They get "lost" all the time (none / 0) (#8)
by Militarytracy on Fri Dec 16, 2011 at 06:46:23 AM EST

I think this is all stupid as hell. I know they "lose" them all the time in the war zones too and then they must go look for them or reveal their technology to the enemy. It will be the same stateside.

The logical conclusion... (none / 0) (#9)
by Dadler on Fri Dec 16, 2011 at 09:13:24 AM EST

...to the increased use of this technology is nightmarish. I hope this is a disastrous fail, I hope so many of these things get hacked, shot down, destroyed however they can be, that it all becomes too expensive to do. One can wish.

How long (none / 0) (#10)
by Chuck0 on Fri Dec 16, 2011 at 11:14:11 AM EST

before local police start using them to shoot people.?

SITE VIOLATOR (none / 0) (#12)
by shoephone on Fri Jun 21, 2013 at 01:41:04 AM EST

SPAM.