Chinese Maker of White House-Crash Drone to Block Flights Over DC

Drone that crashed at White House
(Image: nypost.com)

The drone (technically a "quad copter") that crashed at the White House recently has created some interesting ripples in legal and security circles.

For starters, a Chinese firm called DJI manufactured the offending drone. According to gizmodo.com, the company "will take steps" to prevent its drones from flying over the District of Columbia. Apparently, DJI drone flight paths can be controlled via a firmware modification.

Meanwhile, the drone's pilot worked for an American intelligence agency. The public version of the story was that he visited an apartment in the vicinity of the White House, had a few drinks, and then decided to launch the drone on its ill-fated flight. Uh-huh.

Fortunately, the president and the missus were shaking hands in India. However, the Obamas' two daughters were in DC at the time of the incident. For those inclined toward semiotic, Mafia-like messages from the dark side, the drone episode could be characterized as an unpleasant communication to the White House. A number of odd incidents have occurred during 44's presidency, such as a sudden change in 2011 presidential helicopter flight in Maryland, Air Force One having "mechanical issues," and the entry of an armed individual into the first floor of the White House. The drone story, considering its link to the nation's intelligence community, plausibly fits into this scenario. Let's hope there's nothing more to the incident than coincidence.

Saudi Arabia Purchasing Chinese Military Drones

Chinese Military Drone
(Image: chinadaily.com.cn)

Saudi Arabia, which has more money than you-know-who, recently reached agreement with the Chinese government to purchase some "killer" drones made in the Middle Kingdom. The story, originally published in Tactical Reports, was posed on theverge.com.

Presumably the Saudis will use these drones against internal and external adversaries. Ironically, its two leading foes -- Israel and Iran -- also have active military drone programs. Meanwhile, Israel has been actively exporting drones for nearly a decade, according to theverge.com piece. Iran is an unlikely exporter, unless Tehran supports Hezbollah with the unmanned aerial killers.

US Senators Cite Drone Threat to Privacy

Interior of a drone

A bipartisan group of US senators expressed profound concern today that the wide-open, domestic use of drones signifies a potentially dangerous erosion of privacy rights.

According to an article in today's Los Angeles Times, "So far, no privacy policy defines how long government authorities may keep video and other data collected by the drones, how it can be used or whether it can be shared with other government agencies or the public."

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) expressed their deep concern over unregulated drone activity and its impact on privacy. Their hearings on this issue have assumed greater urgency as the drone industry has undertaken something of a full-court press to sell its products in the US market. Their potential clients extend well beyond natural surveillance constituencies, such as law enforcement agencies. As the LA Times report noted, "Congress has mandated the FAA to open U.S. airspace to commercial drone traffic by September 2015..."

Real estate firms, "data aggregators," and traffic reporting services are among those enterprise categories keenly interested in obtaining the Sons of Predator. Unstated are the darker uses of drones, such as private investigation businesses and tabloid publications, which would presumably be legal. Would the First Amendment cover their activities?

FAA Plans Six Domestic Test Sites for Drones

Someone who invested in drone manufacture must be very happy these days. The unmanned flying devices, once the military's newest and quite effective toy, has become embraced by domestic law enforcement constituencies, corporate interests, and institutional users. The demand for drones is so hot that the FAA is ready to open the gates to widespread use in the United States.

According to a report in The Washington Post, the federal agency has requested permission to open a half-dozen drone test sites across the country. Apparently, the FAA plan is to have states compete for the "honor" of housing a drone test site.

Drone prototype/United Kingdom
(photo and related video: guardian.co.uk)

The Post article notes the enormous amount of money behind the "must have a drone" movement. "Industry experts," the Post observed, "predict the takeoff of a multibillion-dollar market for civilian drones as soon as the FAA completes regulations to make sure they don't pose a safety hazard to other aircraft."

The FAA has supposedly cared about individual privacy in this matter, including a stipulation that each test center follow relevant federal and state laws "and make a privacy policy publicly available."

That tricky tray of regulations and good intentions is unlikely to offer a great deal of tangible privacy. In the meantime, people will experience a continued erosion of their privacy. What happens, for example, when a tabloid hires a drone to photograph celebrities? Or a private detective agency rents some time to document the movements of a suspect? Or a social media firm decides to provide "real time" images from public areas, such as a sports stadium? (Air rights could become a significant legal issue in those cases.) While one could argue the FAA would simply deny access to sensitive or high-profile venues, one could also suggest that everything has a price. What would you pay for drone-free privacy?