Firing Missiles Elsewhere OK, But No Peeking At Home!

The FAA Reauthorization Act recently passed by Congress mandates the FAA to develop standards and testing for the integration of unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace System. The prospect of civilian law enforcement using spy drones is producing an interesting paradox in public opinion. A Rasmussen poll finds a majority of Americans are fine with Predators being used for spying or even armed attacks in other countries, but surveillance of their own back yards is a no-no.

Writing in The Daily Caller, former Republican Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia notes the survey found 76 percent of Americans are supportive of using drones to kill terrorists, while just over half - 52 percent - are opposed to their use by law enforcement agencies inside the US. This new class of NIMBYs will be at odds with the many manufacturers and politicians eager to turn loose this new sales category.

As ANN has reported, EPIC, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, has petitioned the FAA to consider new rules protecting the privacy and safety of citizens subject to surveillance using unmanned aircraft. Barr opines that if the FAA takes the matter seriously, the move would "indicate that the Obama administration — which for three and a half years has largely continued the policies of its predecessor in refusing to recognize the fundamental right to privacy guaranteed in the Bill of Rights — does in fact harbor some concern about the use of technology to spy on American citizens."

FMI: http://epic.org/