Creeps Embrace a New Tool: Peeping Drones

[Purveyor]

by Michael B Marois
5:00 AM EDT
May 5, 2015

It was the blinking lights outside the 10th-story window of her San Jose, California, condo that startled Elsvette Buenaventura from her bed last year. When she drew back the curtain, a small drone hovered a few feet away. In the days that followed, it returned at least three more times.

Such stories have prompted lawmakers in a half-dozen U.S. states to outlaw the use of drones to snoop on people’s homes. More states are set to follow.

“We don’t know what he was looking for with his camera-drone,” said Buenaventura, 32. “All we felt was a violation of our privacy.”

For less than $1,000, small, remotely operated aircraft are increasingly available on the Internet and at hobby stores, and some can be equipped with equally affordable high-definition cameras. At the same time, some of America's biggest companies — names like Chevron Corp. and BNSF Railway Co. — are pushing to use drones for everything from pipeline inspection to land surveys. Their use has pushed lawmakers to weigh the rights of drone pilots against the potential for nefarious intrusions.

Camera-equipped drones have commercial uses — they can inspect crops, photograph real estate and survey land. As the government figures out how to regulate that activity, it has begun rapidly granting waivers from federal rules to drones-for-hire. Scores of companies have obtained permission to fly them.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-05/creeps-embrace-a-new-tool-peeping-drones

[el_bryanto]

1. This is probably the last generation to have any real privacy

Kind of depressing.

Bryant

[951-Riverside]

2. There is nothing you can do about this except...

Don't do anything near an open window that you wouldnt want the world to see.

[lapfog_1]

3. so for like the last 50 or 60 years

I could by a nice tripod and really good zoom lens for my camera for $1000.

And from another building or hillside... I could always have spied on my neighbors in their 10th story condo.

And they would never know.

So... other than the use of different technology... how is this different?

[LanternWaste]

4. Line of sight restrictions are no more...

Line of sight restrictions are no longer an issue, ease of use, relatively lower prices for expanded capabilities, greater insurance of anonymity-- even when caught.

All differences, all relevant...

[lapfog_1]

5. however, at night, with a good scope...

the possibility of detection at long range is zero.

The drone flying 20 feet outside your window... detection is much more likely.

Line of sight... yeah... but if you live in the 10th floor of a condo... line of sight includes a *lot* of places.

Ease of use? Seriously... I flown quad copters... not hard, but not that easy... a tripod and scope... any child can do it.

[WinkyDink]

6. "And from another building or hillside..." Notice how this is no longer a salient point?

[lapfog_1]

7. people in windows on the 10th floor

are almost always going to be visible from somewhere on the ground unless there is other buildings in the way.

Yes, the angles might not be good to look completely into the room.. but someone will be able to look into your window.

The flatter the terrain, the farther away they could position their telescope / zoom lens.

[VScott]

11. Even a lot cheaper than that.

And it has the added plus of not being as obvious as taking pics with a 1' zoom lens.

http://www.cnet.com/products/canon-powershot-sx60-hs/

And that's optical zoom... not digital.

[kentauros]

8. Time to get out the drone-zappers:

[lpbk2713]

9. I predict sales of .410 shotguns to rise.

[VScott]

10. This is why we can't have nice things.

Just another example of a few fuckheads ruining it for everyone else.

Note... you'd think the idiot would have at least had the common sense to disable the lights
on the damn thing

[hunter]

12. I have a few funny stories about nude beaches.

There were always a few fully clothed pervs hiding in the bushes with long lens cameras.

They would have had a lot more fun with the rest of us naked people frolicking on the beach.