Drone on Drones: Website Promises to Create “No-fly” Zones for Drones

Best Best & Krieger LLP
Contact

A new website promises to allow property owners to establish a no-fly zone over their land by registering their address with an online database. “NoFlyZone.org” will then partner with drone manufacturers, which will add the coordinates of the blocked properties to software prohibiting the drones from flying through that airspace.

While a handful of smaller companies have signed on to NoFlyZone’s program, DJI and 3D Robitics — two of the largest drone manufacturers in the United States — have yet to do so. These corporate absences may mean the initiative is more symbolic than anything, but the website’s efforts are reflective of the public’s growing privacy concerns as it relates to drone usage.

DJI’s newest drones already come equipped with software that automatically lands the unmanned aircraft when they approach restricted areas, so the technical capability of the drones will likely not be the hitch in NoFlyZone’s ambitious program. Instead, the website may encounter more low-tech problems: Currently, the website’s only safeguard against registrants adding property they do not own to the no-fly list is a “one-property-per-email-address” policy the website has in place. NoFlyZone does not promise to verify which requests come from legitimate property owners, and, as it currently exists, an individual would likely have no problem using multiple email addresses to register a swath of properties in an effort to ground drones from an entire neighborhood or span of commercial space.

As drones become more affordable, and are equipped with increasingly powerful surveillance capabilities, the public can expect more websites like NoFlyZone to offer similar privacy services. Over time, privacy interest groups may even lobby for a national registry, similar to the Federal Trade Commission’s famed “Do Not Call” Registry to restrict telemarketers.

Until that time, there is always Sen. Rand Paul’s approach. Asked in a Politico interview two weeks ago what he would do if he saw a drone fly over his property, the junior senator from Kentucky replied with, “Drones should only be used according to the Constitution… but if they do fly over my house they better beware because I’ve got a shotgun.”

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

© Best Best & Krieger LLP | Attorney Advertising

Written by:

Best Best & Krieger LLP
Contact
more
less

PUBLISH YOUR CONTENT ON JD SUPRA NOW

  • Increased visibility
  • Actionable analytics
  • Ongoing guidance

Best Best & Krieger LLP on:

Reporters on Deadline

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
Custom Email Digest
- hide
- hide