Civilian Drones Technology Pros And Cons

Every type of new technology has some form of controversy surrounding it, especially when it is in its early stages. When it comes to civilian drone technology, the general trend still holds true. Civilian drones are controversial because they can impede upon personal privacy, property rights, and safety. As the use of drones continues to proliferate and the industry maintains exponential growth, so will the controversy. In analyzing historical trends regarding civilian drones, it is clear that the controversy will only become more serious. The future of civilian drone technology includes additional regulations, more skepticism, and legal issues.
The History of Civilian Drone Technology
The first drone ever used was on February 2, 2002 by

As civilians use drones and as improve technologically, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking closely at the safety of civilian drones. To ensure that drones are safe for civilian use and that civilians around drones are safe, a company known as Modovolate Aviation filed a petition with the FAA to streamline regulations that would impose pre-sale technology requirements. (Perritt, et al., 2016) The regulations not only addressed the drones themselves, but also potential licensing requirements for users. After all, even though many see civilian drones as toys, the technology still falls into the definition of aircraft. According to the FAA, an aircraft is “any contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, or fly in the air.” (Perritt, et al., 2016). Essentially, because drone technology falls into the FAA’s broad definition of aircraft, many validly argue that the technology should be regulated by the FAA.
The Future of Geofencing Technology and Drone

Drone use is controversial for many reasons and the potential for trespass is perhaps at the top of the list. Many individuals who do not use drones are concerned about drones affecting their property rights. For example, many argue that drones are not allowed to fly over another’s private property up to a certain height (Elzwig, 2015). To address this concern, it is likely that the FAA is going to set in place a regulation or alternatively, states will address the problem on their own by enacting their own statutes about the issues. Every state treats property rights differently, making it more likely that it will be a state issue instead of a federal one.
The Right to Privacy The final touchstone of the roadmap of future drone use is the right to privacy. Not only are drones impacting private privacy rights because civilian drone users can photograph or record, but civilian drones are also causing fourth amendment questions (Elzwig, 2015). In this area, it is likely that courts are going to significantly struggle between the relationship between drone use and the fourth amendment. Also, courts will also need to address how to maintain the first amendment, while ensuring that private property rights and justice is still being served.