freedombecki
Let's go swimmin'!
Projecting, Synth dear?Everyone should pester their Congresscritter about this subject.
Bipartisan Bill Introduced in Congress Would Prohibit Warrantless Drone Surveillance
Legislation sponsored by two members of the House of Representatives has been introduced to regulate how the government uses drones. The legislation would require law enforcement to get a search warrant or some other kind of judicial approval for surveillance before using drones to investigate criminal wrongdoing. It would, however, allow drone use for fire and rescue missions, monitoring droughts, assessing flood damage or chasing a fleeing criminal.
The bill was introduced on February 13 by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Demcorat from California, and Ted Poe, a Republican from Texas. The introduction was praised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The ACLU noted the bill would also require all government agencies register all drones and the results of criminal investigation involving the technology would have to be reported to Congress. It also would reportedly prohibit law enforcement from arming drones.
Unmanned drones must not become a perpetual presence in our lives, hovering over us, following us and recording our every move, said Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for the ACLU. Strict rules should govern the use of drones by the government. By requiring that law enforcement secure judicial approval before using drones, this legislation achieves the right balance for the use of these eyes in the sky.
A previous version of the legislation reintroduced by Poe sought to limit how drones could be used in federal criminal investigations. It sought to prohibit the use of drone evidence in administrative hearings. And it sought to prohibit the use of private surveillance by private persons:
Lofgren did not post anything on her website yet on cosponsoring the legislation, but Poe has put up what he said in the House yesterday.
No Federal agency may authorize the domestic use, including granting a permit to use, of an unmanned aircraft (as defined in section 331 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note)), to permit any private person to conduct surveillance on any other private person without the consent of that other private person or the owner of any real property on which that other private person is present. [emphasis added]
A bill like this is remarkable as it calls for Congress to be proactive in protecting Americans privacy. Congress is exceptionally poor at being reactive when Americans rights are actually being violated by government agencies. As Poe said, it aims to set limits so nobody would be using drones to spy on anyone without the legal authority to engage in such activities.
According to the FAA, by 2015, it will allow the use of drones nationwide, and by 2030, 30,000 drones will be cruising American skies looking, observing, filming, and hovering over America. They will come whether we like it or not. We will not know where they are or what theyre looking at or what their purpose is, whether its permitted or not permitted, whether its lawful or unlawful, and we really wont know who is flying those drones
It doesnt take a constitutional law professor to see why legislation is needed to protect the rights of the American people. The right of a reasonable expectation of privacy is a constitutional right. Any form of snooping or spying, surveillance or eavesdropping goes against the rights that are outlined in the Constitution.
*snip*
Screen shot from PBSs Nova episode, Rise of the Drones
I thought rule of law, due process, and democratic process was bipartisan too, but I was wrong. http://www.usmessageboard.com/law-a...acare-in-the-courts-round-ii.html#post7033270 Indeed, all that junk only matters until one party or the other want it as a beating stick for the other party.
Oh, stop your crying. Man up and pay your bills.
