California officials have approved a bill that would make it illegal for police to use drones for surveillance without a court-issued warrant.
The bill, called the Unmanned Aircraft Systems bill, was introduced by Republican Assemblyman Jeff Gorell, according to CNET. If the proposed rule becomes a law, police would still be able to use drones for fires, hostage crises, search and rescue, chases and other "emergency situations." Helping first responders would also permit the use of the aircraft.
"The [US] Federal Aviation Adminstration, by 2015, has been mandated by Congress to authorize drones to be integrated into our airspace, and so it's on our doorstep," said Sam Chung, Gorell's policy director. "Right around the corner, drones will be integrated into our airspace. So it's up to states to implement common-sense privacy laws."
Chung added that privacy restrictions should be implemented so the public knows that the police will not be monitoring them, CNET reported. He also said the use of the aircraft by police for surveillance is different from their use of helicopters for the same purpose since drones fly lower and for longer periods of time than choppers.
"A drone can be hovering for more than 24 hours at a time, as silent as a hummingbird," Chung said.
While most police departments currently don't have access to drones, Chung said rules about the aircraft's use need to be made, "or it's just going to be like the Wild West," CNET reported. Police, on the other hand, argue that using drones for surveillance is the same as using helicopters, and that people shouldn't expect much privacy when they're in a public place.
The legislation, AB 1327, was able to pass California's legislature late last month, and is now waiting to be signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, who must make a decision by the end of September.
