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Hi all,
Have you come across any published stories about people flying UAVs that have been prosecuted for actually invading someone's privacy?
Exclusions: I don't mean the frequent reports we hear of someone shooting a UAV out of the air simply because it flew over their private property. I also do not mean stories of people legally flying a UAV in a public space that was accused of invading the privacy of other people in that public area.
I mean people who use a UAV with intent to invade someone's privacy and got caught. There should be proof, such as some authority getting ahold of recordings that showed that the UAV operator was filming people in their private space. It could be a UAV in the sky over filming down on people in their private property, or a UAV in a public space that was using their camera to record into someone's private space (into their house, apartment, condo, etc.).
Disclaimer: I realize that invasion of privacy is a delicate matter and does not have to involve any particular nefarious purpose. Any privacy invasion is wrong regardless of intent.
My reasons: Aside from the exclusions mentioned above, I can't recall any actual examples. When a total stranger comes up to me while I'm flying in a public place and tells me that what I'm doing isn't cool, the conversation at that point can go several ways.
In general, my responses have evolved to the point where I say "I'm not doing anything wrong, but I can see that you have an issue with it, so as soon as I'm done with this shoot, I will pack up and leave". That is usually enough.
But sometimes we ask "why" and the answer is typically something about invasion of privacy. We can then engage with them in discussions about how that argument doesn't work in places like a public parks and beaches (that have no specific ordinances about flying UAVs); but sometimes I want to ask "when was the last time you read a story about someone with one of these actually invading personal privacy?"
Chris
Have you come across any published stories about people flying UAVs that have been prosecuted for actually invading someone's privacy?
Exclusions: I don't mean the frequent reports we hear of someone shooting a UAV out of the air simply because it flew over their private property. I also do not mean stories of people legally flying a UAV in a public space that was accused of invading the privacy of other people in that public area.
I mean people who use a UAV with intent to invade someone's privacy and got caught. There should be proof, such as some authority getting ahold of recordings that showed that the UAV operator was filming people in their private space. It could be a UAV in the sky over filming down on people in their private property, or a UAV in a public space that was using their camera to record into someone's private space (into their house, apartment, condo, etc.).
Disclaimer: I realize that invasion of privacy is a delicate matter and does not have to involve any particular nefarious purpose. Any privacy invasion is wrong regardless of intent.
My reasons: Aside from the exclusions mentioned above, I can't recall any actual examples. When a total stranger comes up to me while I'm flying in a public place and tells me that what I'm doing isn't cool, the conversation at that point can go several ways.
In general, my responses have evolved to the point where I say "I'm not doing anything wrong, but I can see that you have an issue with it, so as soon as I'm done with this shoot, I will pack up and leave". That is usually enough.
But sometimes we ask "why" and the answer is typically something about invasion of privacy. We can then engage with them in discussions about how that argument doesn't work in places like a public parks and beaches (that have no specific ordinances about flying UAVs); but sometimes I want to ask "when was the last time you read a story about someone with one of these actually invading personal privacy?"
Chris
