Drone technology has advanced rapidly over the last decade, and this technology has become a valuable tool for many industries on a global scale. The commercial and consumer uses for drones have grown exponentially, and the industry is poised to see aggressive growth.
With commercial and hobbyist drones filling our skies, policymakers have increasingly expressed security concerns. How can law enforcement mitigate potential threats? What security concerns do flights over people, beyond visual line of sight, and at night pose – and are there technology solutions that can mitigate security risks and help enable broader operations? How can industry contribute to the federal government policy conversation around domestic drone security?
On Wednesday, June 28, 2017, the Commercial Drone Alliance, Hogan Lovells and industry stakeholders hosted an unclassified, off-the-record conversation around these issues with federal and local policymakers and law enforcement.
Representatives from the White House, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Institute of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and state and local law enforcement participated in a productive conversation with industry leaders.
Participants discussed how the federal government is thinking about drone security issues; law enforcement experiences with drones in various jurisdictions; the protection of critical infrastructure and counter-drone technology; and how industry can help solve drone security issues through technology.
“The safety, security, and efficiency benefits of commercial drones are great and expansive, but policymaking has lagged behind technology,” said Lisa Ellman, Co-Executive Director of the Commercial Drone Alliance and HL Partner. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to engage with national security agencies around drone security issues.”
Laura Ponto of X, Chair of the Commercial Drone Alliance Board, said “The Domestic Drone Security Summit provided an excellent forum for companies to speak directly with policymakers around drone security issues. There are technological solutions for many security concerns.”
Gretchen West, Co-Executive Director of the Commercial Drone Alliance and HL Senior Advisor stated, “The Domestic Drone Security Summit allowed industry to engage with the government to discuss solutions and find areas for mutual collaboration. We look forward to continued engagement with the Trump Administration around these very important issues.”
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About the Commercial Drone Alliance
Founded in 2016, the Commercial Drone Alliance is an independent 501c6 non-profit led by the commercial drone industry co-located in Silicon Valley, CA and Washington, DC. The overarching vision of the Alliance is to support commercial enterprise end users and assist them with adopting drone technology into their businesses, reducing barriers to entry, addressing public perception issues, and merging policy with innovation to create relevant rules for operation. www.commercialdronealliance.org
