It was only a matter of time before this issue came up. A local news channel recently did a short story on a confrontation on the beach regarding the flying of a drone with a camera on Treasure Island Beach. Video above. (If the video above doesn’t display properly, here’s a link to the video).
Some people are having a hard time coming to grips with the idea that we are recorded by video and still cameras everywhere we go now. Even at the beach. It doesn’t give me warm fuzzies either.
Most hotels and beachfront restaurants have either security cameras or live web cameras.
Are cameras on drones an even bigger invasion of privacy? And do we have an expectation of privacy when we are in public?
I definitely don’t want my neighbor’s drones flying over my backyard filming me at the BBQ grill.
On the other hand, one of our neighbors has security cameras outside their house which also takes in a view of many of their neighbors’ homes as well as the public street. A couple of weeks ago the cameras resulted in some pretty good images of some burglars and their getaway car.
Personally, my biggest concern about drones flying overhead is not any invasion of my privacy, but rather that what goes up must come down. How long will it be before someone is seriously injured or killed by an out-of-control drone?
I get what the guy with the drone is saying, but I’m not sure I agree that a remote controlled mobile camera is the same as a stationary web cam at a hotel, or a person standing on the beach with a camera.
Actually, drones have been flying overhead taking our picture for decades. They are called satellites and they make Google Maps possible and accessible to anyone. And, there is no doubt in my mind that what we see on Google Maps is just a tiny taste of what the government/industry “partnership” is using to record what we are all up to.
So, what do you think? Do we need drone-free public beaches and parks?
Just for fun, here’s a beautiful video from Tahiti captured by a personal drone:
