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News & ArtsThursday, March 7, 2013
Crime ACLU Clashes with Boeing Over Restrictions for Aerial Drones
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 3:19 PM
As Publicola first reported, Boeing is trying to block a popular bill before legislators that would regulate how police departments can buy and deploy drones (an issue Seattle residents recently took up with our own police department). Boeing is lobbying against the ACLU-backed legislation by arguing that it'll hobble Washington's chance of becoming only one of six FAA drone testing sites in the country.
Now the ACLU of Washington is striking back by launching a public petition urging Governor Jay Inslee to "not let Boeing block reasonable rules for drones." The letter reads in part:
Boeing is opposed to the bill, claiming that passage of drone rules would make Washington appear unfriendly to new technology. But adopting the bill’s safeguards allows our state the benefits of new technology and protection of civil liberties. The bill limits suspicionless surveillance by drones and builds trust in government by ensuring public input before acquisition of drones. The bill enables government to use drones for all legitimate uses, including emergency relief, avalanche control, search and rescue operations, and operations that do not collect personal information.
This is a popular bill with residents and legislators alike. It should pass. Go sign the petition and ensure it does.
1
If we don't allow surveillance drones, then we'll be shutting investment we need for more surveillance technology. Don't you care about JOBS? Why do you hate JOBS so much?
3
To be honest, the drones I'm most worried about are not the military-grade ones Boeing is going to be making, but the $200 kit ones my psycho neighbor is going to be sending over the fence. Something like 99% of all the drones are built by hobbyists, and it's getting easier every day.
4
You more than anyone can benefit from this drone act.
Your state of Washington is full of vast, empty, desolate areas where women can be assaulted, children stolen, cars jacked, drugs cooked.
With the drones you abhor, you could police the region adequately, and make the No Man's Lands inhabitable. But that might displease your Masters, Nipper.
6
@3 - I here ya. There's actually a cottage industry of filmers that have gotten very good at those quad-copter thingy rigs for aerial angles and follow-shots, and when done well, they can get some great stuff... (It's usually a two-man operation, and the copters run $1k and up, not to mention the photo gear)
...BUT, going by the fact that every other art school kid 'round here owns a goddamn 5D MIII (very expensive camera), we're bound to start seeing these things start mixing very badly with urban environments (although they may technically already be illegal in public space).
Confidential to the dude whose demo reel I watched with him spooking the buffalo in Golden Gate park's paddock with one of those things: I see you doing that and you'll be paddle-boating your ass to the middle of stow lake to retrieve the wreckage.
I don't have the brainpower to contemplate privacy concerns right now, but my first thought was "Echo Park would sure be a lot quieter."
...BUT, going by the fact that every other art school kid 'round here owns a goddamn 5D MIII (very expensive camera), we're bound to start seeing these things start mixing very badly with urban environments (although they may technically already be illegal in public space).
Confidential to the dude whose demo reel I watched with him spooking the buffalo in Golden Gate park's paddock with one of those things: I see you doing that and you'll be paddle-boating your ass to the middle of stow lake to retrieve the wreckage.
I don't have the brainpower to contemplate privacy concerns right now, but my first thought was "Echo Park would sure be a lot quieter."
9
ROFL this is sooooo funny coming off the tail of idiot Rand Paul's show boating.
No need to worry Rand it won't be the big bad Feds shooting at you it will be your local police department.
No need to worry Rand it won't be the big bad Feds shooting at you it will be your local police department.
10
@8, that's the only way he keeps his insides in.
@6, harassing a bison in the park? That makes my blood boil. I wouldn't throw it in the lake; I'd hold it and wait for him to come get it, and then throw HIM in the lake. The camera I'd be tempted to keep.
@6, harassing a bison in the park? That makes my blood boil. I wouldn't throw it in the lake; I'd hold it and wait for him to come get it, and then throw HIM in the lake. The camera I'd be tempted to keep.
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