Intrusive drones...are they illegal?

[Cipher]

Peeping Tom laws were adopted to afford people some level of privacy. These drones, flying over someone's house, afford the user to look behind locked fences and walls, where viewing would not normally be possible. It's analogous to opening a locked door so they can look inside. That sort of stuff is BS as far as I'm concerned.

Google earth sees all.

[trent]

Google earth sees all.

Still not as good as a drone....real time and stuff lol

[argonsagas]

I think the context and application of Google earth is VERY different. Google Earth is a view from a hundred miles above the planet, and while it does permit magnification, a drone is very specific all the time, and can deliver the most intimate details of what it "sees" and it can pause for a minute or ten minutes to see more. The expressed privacy concern was about drones used specifically for viewing YOUR property. .

[trent]

I fly a drone for fun, never really trying to spot anything, maybe some sunset or scenery around the river or something.

But always have it recording, I notice a lot of stuff when looking at footage on laptop after downloading.

Like birds checking out the drone, other things I didn't notice while actually flying.

Last time I was visiting a friend in st louis, I was kinda taken back by how populated his neighborhood was with drones?

He says he's used to it.

[Peppermint Patti]

You remembered the "Spy Balloon" story, where I was on the front page, in a color photo! I'm touched!!
(both ways...! Lol) I still have a copy of that paper! Wish I knew how to share it...
(Paper is dated Jan. 5th, 2011. My how time FLIES!)
I sure think it is an infringement on one's privacy rights, however, as always; I think "Big Brother" will win...
No more skinny dipping in your own back yard anymore, I guess!

[Vmass]

You remembered the "Spy Balloon" story, where I was on the front page, in a color photo! I'm touched!!
(both ways...! Lol) I still have a copy of that paper! Wish I knew how to share it...
(Paper is dated Jan. 5th, 2011. My how time FLIES!)
I sure think it is an infringement on one's privacy rights, however, as always; I think "Big Brother" will win...
No more skinny dipping in your own back yard anymore, I guess!

What was the outcome in Camp Verde, balloons or no balloons?

https://journalaz.com/2011/01/05/spy-balloons-worry-camp-verde-residents/

I think it is very difficult to leave your home undetected these days.

[trent]

Always in focus
You can't feel my stare
I zoom into you
But you don't know I'm there
I take a pride in probing
All your secret moves
My tearless retina takes pictures that can prove
I'm made of metal
My circuits gleam
I am perpetual
I keep the country clean
I'm elected, electric spy
I'm protected electric eye

[LAB3]

After posting earlier I later remembered something that popped up in Michigan several years back where law enforcement where using drones to see if anyone was growing marijuana. It is legal to grow up to 12 plants per adult with the law (at that time) stating "In a secure facility out of the public view"

The "Secure facility" aspect was challenged in court when someone's grow spot was surrounded by a portable dog kennel with four foot high fencing, the court ruled that it met the definition of "secured facility" However since it was visible by air it did not meet the criteria for "out of the public view"

In a challenge to that decision the argument was made that sunlight is an essential component to making plants grow and the law ended up getting kicked back up to the legislature. This paved the way for large scale commercial production to take place which significantly reduces the amount of energy required to bring a crop to maturity.

Personally I can't stand the friggin things (drones) I understand that they do have their place and legitimate uses but when a nosy neighbor can sit in their yard and spy on you either just for fun or out of spite then I find that completely unacceptable. My hope is that some basic common sense rules for their use are put in place, in the meantime a loaded 410 shotgun is as close as I'm going to get to seeing justice served.

[GS1150Pilot]

Personally I can't stand the friggin things (drones) I understand that they do have their place and legitimate uses but when a nosy neighbor can sit in their yard and spy on you either just for fun or out of spite then I find that completely unacceptable. My hope is that some basic common sense rules for their use are put in place, in the meantime a loaded 410 shotgun is as close as I'm going to get to seeing justice served.

My thoughts exactly. If I had land and one of those things was swooping in and hovering, it would be skeet time.

[1978GS750E]

Just saw a friends' post on Farcebook: "Amazon starting drone delivery, for us rednecks, it's skeet shooting with prizes!"

[Grimly]

Exactly my position on it. I don't mind drones in public areas, but if one starts flying around over my gaff it'll be target practice. I have neither AA guns or even a shotgun, but I'm pretty good still with a catapult.

[rphillips]

Thread title says ARE THEY ILLEGAL ... Still wondering

[Cipher]

Well the gung Ho types are out in force. Illegal to destroy an aircraft. or to fire on one.
Each country has its own laws but overflying is not illegal in UK for sure and probably not the USA either.
Carry on with the bravado vapour though. Better yet drone on.

[LAB3]

Well the gung Ho types are out in force. Illegal to destroy an aircraft. or to fire on one.
Each country has its own laws but overflying is not illegal in UK for sure and probably not the USA either.
Carry on with the bravado vapour though. Better yet drone on.

Flying over certainly is not illegal but there are rules covering minimum altitudes with airplanes. Unlike most I'm not important enough to be worried about "The Government" as much as I am the BS to that a bored housewife or retiree would generate. See my earlier comments about the composition of township boards!

[GS1150Pilot]

Looks like there is some wiggle room. As I said before, if I had a large piece of property and a drone came in low, I'd have no issue destroying it.

Can You Legally Shoot Down a Drone Over Your Property? (dronetechplanet.com)