Drone privacy and civil liberties Petition 2012 Feb

7/29/2019 Drone privacy and civil liberties Petition 2012 Feb

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PetitiontotheFAA 1 DronesandPrivacy

February24,2012

MichaelP.Huerta

ActingAdministrator

UnitedStatesFederalAviationAdministration

800IndependenceAvenue,SWWashington,D.C.20591

Facsimile(202)-267-5289

DearAdministratorHuerta,

Wetheundersignedconsumerrights,humanrights,technology,andcivil

libertiesorganizations,membersoftheEPICAdvisoryBoard,andmembersofthe

generalpublicsubmitthisPetitiontotheFederalAviationAdministration(FAA)to

urgetheAgencytoconductarulemakingtoaddressthethreattoprivacyandcivil

libertiesthatwillresultfromthedeploymentofaerialdroneswithinUnitedStates.1

TheFAAModernizationandReformActof2012providesatimelyopportunityforyoutoaddressthiscriticalquestion.2

DroneUseintheUnitedStatesisIncreasing

A"drone,"or"unmannedaircraft,"isanaerialvehicledesignedtoflywithout

ahumanpilotonboard.Currentregulationsonlypermitcivilorganizationsto

operatedroneswithintheUnitedStateswithanexperimentaldesignation.3

Despitethislimitation,manyindividualshavefoundthemeanstooperatedrones

withinthecourseofbusiness.4

TheBureauofCustomsandBorderProtection(CBP)currentlyoperatesninedronevehicles,whichwereprocuredspecificallytomonitortheUnitedStates

borders.5In2011,CBPallowedalocallawenforcementunitinNorthDakotatheuse

1ThisisapetitionundertheAdministrativeProcedureAct.5U.S.C.553(e)(2011).2FAAModernizationandReformActof2012,Pub.L.112-95(2012),availableat

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr658enr/pdf/BILLS-112hr658enr.pdf.3UnmannedAircraftOperationsintheNationalAirspaceSystem,14C.F.R.91(2007),availableat

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2007/02/13/E7-2402/unmanned-aircraft-operations-in-the-national-airspace-system#p-12(UnderFAApolicy,operatorswhowishtoflyanunmanned

aircraftforcivilusemustobtainanFAAairworthinesscertificatethesameasanyothertypeaircraft.

TheFAAiscurrentlyonlyissuingspecialairworthinesscertificatesintheexperimentalcategory.).4Drones:WhoisWatchingYou(ABCNews2012),availableathttp://news.yahoo.com/video/us-

15749625/drones-who-is-watching-you-28326842.html.5PressRelease,UnitedStatesBureauofCustomsandBorderProtection,CBPReceivesFourth

Predator-BinArizona;AgencyNowOperates9UnmannedAircraft(Dec.27,2011),availableat

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/national/2011_news_archive/12272011.x

ml.


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ofadronewithintheunitsnormaloperations.6Thisincidentrepresentedthefirst

occasionwheredroneuseresultedinanarrestofaU.S.Citizen.7

Manylawenforcementagenciesareacquiringdronesthatpermitnewforms

ofaerialsurveillance.8In2011,theMiami-DadePoliceDepartmentpurchaseda

HoneywellT-hawkwithfundsfromthefederalstimulus.9

Laterthatyear,TheMontgomeryCountySheriffsOfficeinTexaspurchasedaShadowHawkwithagrant

fromtheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity(DHS).10Dronesarealsousedby

policeinSouthCarolinaandColorado,anddronesmaysoonbeusedforsurveillance

inNewYorkCity.11Expertsestimatethatupto30,000newdronescouldbe

launchedintheUnitedStatesinthenextdecade.12

DronesPoseSubstantialThreatstoPrivacy

Dronesgreatlyincreasethecapacityfordomesticsurveillance.13Gigapixel

camerasusedtooutfitdronesareamongthehighestdefinitioncamerasavailable,

andcanprovidereal-timevideostreamsatarateof10framesasecond.14Onsomedrones,operatorscantrackupto65differenttargetsacrossadistanceof65

squaremiles.15Dronesmayalsocarryinfraredcameras,heatsensors,GPS,sensors

6BrianBennett,PoliceEmployPredatorDroneSpyPlanesonHomeFront,LosAngelesTimes(Dec.10,

2011),http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/10/nation/la-na-drone-arrest-20111211.7Id.8AnaCampoy,TheLawsNewEyeintheSky;PoliceDepartmentsUseofDronesisRaisingConcerns

OverPrivacyandSafety,WallStreetJournal(Dec.13,2011),

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204319004577088891361782010.html(AsofSeptember,therewere285activepermitsrequestedby85governmentgroups,includingpublic

universities,federallawenforcementagencies,andpolicedepartments.).9DroneMaybeComingtoMiami-Dade,WSVN-TV(Jan.6,2011),

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21003198189967/;TheLawsNewEyeintheSky,supra

note8.10ClayDillow,ATexasSheriffsDepartmentisLaunchinganUnmannedHelodronethatCouldCarry

Weapons,PopSci(Nov.3,2011,8:27AM),availableat

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-11/texas-sheriffs-department-launching-

unmanned-helo-could-carry-weapons.11TheLawsNewEyeintheSky,supranote8;BrianNaylor,Look,UpintheSky!ItsaDrone,Lookingat

You,NPR(Dec.5,2011),http://www.npr.org/2011/12/05/143144146/drone-technology-finding-

its-way-to-american-skies.12

LynnHerman,30,000DronesinAmericanSkies,CivilLibertiesinJeopardy,DigitalJournal(Feb.13,2012),http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/319564.OnereportattributesthenumbertotheFAA

itself.ShaunWaterman,DronesoverU.S.getOKfromCongress,TheWashingtonTimes(Feb.7,2012),

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/7/coming-to-a-sky-near-you/.13SeeJayStanleyandCatherineCrump,ProtectingPrivacyFromAerialSurveillance:

RecommendationsforGovernmentUseofDroneAircraft4-6,10-13(AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion

2011),availableathttp://www.aclu.org/files/assets/protectingprivacyfromaerialsurveillance.pdf.14USArmyUnveils1.8GigapixelCameraHelicopterDrone,BBCNewsTechnology(Dec.29,2011,1:11

PM),http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16358851.15Id.


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thatdetectmovement,andautomatedlicenseplatereaders.16Inthenearfuture

thesecamerasmayincludefacialrecognitiontechnologythatwouldmakeit

possibletoremotelyidentifyindividualsinparks,schools,andatpolitical

gatherings.17

Inaddition,dronespresentauniquethreattoprivacy.Dronesaredesignedtoundertakeconstant,persistentsurveillancetoadegreethatformermethodsof

aerialsurveillancewereunabletoachieve.18Also,byvirtueoftheirdesign,their

size,andhowhightheycanfly,[drones]canoperateundetectedinurbanandrural

environments.19

Theincreaseduseofdronesposesanongoingthreattoeverypersonresiding

withintheUnitedStates.20Companiesaredevelopingpaparazzidronesinorderto

followandphotographcelebrities.21Privatedetectivesarestartingtousedronesto

tracktheirtargets.22Google,inc.hasdeployedstreet-leveldronesinothercountries

tosupplementtheimagesofStreetView.23Criminalsandothersmayusedronesfor

purposesofstalkingandharassment.24

Theconsequencesofincreasedgovernmentsurveillancethroughtheuseof

dronesareevenmoretroubling.Theabilitytolinkfacialrecognitioncapabilitieson

dronecamerastotheFBIsNextGenerationIdentificationdatabaseorDHSIDENT

16CustomsandBorderProtectionToday,UnmannedAerialVehiclesSupportBorderSecurity

(July/Aug.2004),availableat

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/CustomsToday/2004/Aug/other/aerial_vehicles.xml.17ClayDillow,ArmyDevelopingDronesthatCanRecognizeYourFaceFromaDistance,PopSci(Sept.

28,2011,4:01PM),http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-09/army-wants-drones-can-recognize-your-face-and-read-your-mind.18SeeNoelMcKeegan,RavenUAVDemonstrates30-hourPersistentSurveillance,GizMag(Apr.2,2009,

6:35AM),http://www.gizmag.com/raven-uav-demonstrates-30-hour-persistent-

surveillance/11385/.19JenniferLynch,AreDronesWatchingYou,ElectronicFrontierFoundation(Jan.10,2012),available

athttps://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/drones-are-watching-you.20SeeM.RyanCalo,TheDroneasaPrivacyCatalyst,64Stan.L.Rev.Online29(2011),availableat

http://www.stanfordlawreview.org/online/drone-privacy-catalyst.21ClayDillow,PlanforCelebrity-StalkingPaparazziDroneRevealsNewRolesforUnmannedCivilian

Aircraft,PopSci(Nov.11,2010,12:01PM),http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-

11/paparazzi-drone-reveals-emerging-roles-civilian-drone-aircraft.22SeeNealUngerleider,UnmannedDronesGoFromAfghanistantoHollywood,FastCompany(Feb.15,

2012),http://www.fastcompany.com/1816578/unmanned-drones-go-from-afghanistan-to-hollywood.23MicroDronesforGoogle?,GoogleBlogoscoped(Aug.7,2010),

http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2010-08-07-n43.html,citingtovonSebastianMatthesandBernd

Mertens,ZivileDrohnenfrGoogle,WirtschaftsWoche(Aug.7,2010),

http://www.wiwo.de/technologie/luftueberwachung-zivile-drohnen-fuer-google/5156046.html.24W.J.Hennigan,IdeaofCiviliansUsingDroneAircraftMaySoonFlywithFAA,LosAngelesTimes

(Nov.27,2011),http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/27/business/la-fi-drones-for-profit-

20111127;PlanforCelebrity-StalkingPaparazziDroneRevealsNewRolesforUnmannedCivilian

Aircraft,supranote21.


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database,twoofthelargestcollectionsofbiometricdataintheworld,25increases

theFirstAmendmentrisksforwould-bepoliticaldissidents.Inaddition,theuseof

dronesimplicatessignificantFourthAmendmentinterestsandwellestablished

commonlawprivacyrights.26Withspecialcapabilitiesandenhancedequipment,

dronesareabletoconductfar-moredetailedsurveillance,obtaininghigh-resolution

pictureandvideo,peeringinsidehigh-levelwindows,andthroughsolidbarriers,suchasfences,trees,andevenwalls.

FAARegulationofDrones

TheFAAisrequiredtopromotesafeflightofcivilaircraft.27TheFAA

ModernizationandReformActrequirestheFAAto,withinacertainamountoftime,

developacomprehensiveplantoimplementdronesintocivilcommerce.28The

planmustdefinetheacceptablestandardsforoperationforcivildroneuse.29In

addition,theFAAisrequiredtoprovideguidanceonapublicentitysresponsibility

whenoperatinganunmannedaircraft.30BeforeMay14,2012,theFAAmust

simplifytheprocessbywhichgovernmententitiesoperatedronesinthenationalairspace.31TheFAAshouldalsoassesstheprivacyproblemsassociatedwiththe

highlyintrusivenatureofdroneaircraft,andtheabilityofoperatorstogainaccess

toprivateareasandtotrackindividualsoverlargedistances.32

25SeeNextGenerationIdentification,FederalBureauofInvestigation,http://www.fbi.gov/about-

us/cjis/fingerprints_biometrics/ngi(lastvisitedFeb.17,2012);ElizabethMontalbano,DHSExpands

US-VISITBiometricCapabilities,InformationWeek(Dec.22,2011,8:00AM),

http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/232300942.26Manystategovernmentshaveenactedlegislationtoprotectindividualsfromthetypeofpersistent

surveillancethatdroneswouldfacilitate.SometimescalledPeepingTomlaws,eachstateprohibits

theintrusionuponapersonsseclusion.SeeElementsofanIntrusionClaim,CitizenMediaLaw

Project,http://www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/elements-intrusion-claim(lastvisitedFeb.21,2012)Seealso,e.g.Cal.Civ.Code1708.8(West2011);Neb.Rev.Stat.20-203(2011).Unlike

trespasslaws,intrusiondoesnotrequireaphysicaltrespass.Id.ThisisimportantsincetheUnited

Stateshasestablishedthatapersonhasnopropertyrightsintheairspaceovertheirproperty.See

U.S.v.Causby,328U.S.256(1946);Seealso49U.S.C.40103(2011)(TheUnitedStatesGovernment

hasexclusivesovereigntyofairspaceoftheUnitedStates.).However,thereisapossibilitythat

certaindroneoperatorsmaybeguiltyofcommonlawtrespass,particularlyinregardtosmall-sized

dronesflyingatlowaltitudes.Id.Manystateshavelawswithevenhigherlevelsofprivacyprotection,

suchasCaliforniasregulationontheuseoftelephotolensestophotographprivateproperty.Cal.Civ.

Code1708.8(West2011).2749U.S.C.44701(a).28FAAModernizationandReformAct322(a)(1).29FAAModernizationandReformAct322(a)(2)(B)(i).30

FAAModernizationandReformAct324(a)(4).31FAAModernizationandReformAct324(c)(1).32See,e.g.,VehicleSafetyCommunicationsApplicationsVSC-A17(NationalHighwayTrafficSafety

Administration2011),availableathttp://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/.../2011/811466.pdf

(Stating,privacyofvehicleownerswillneedtobeaprimarycomponentofDSRC-basedvehicular

communication.NHTSAistaskedwithcarryingoutsafetyprogramsrelatedtohighways.Thisis

NHTSA:PeopleSavingPeople,NationalHighwayTrafficSafetyAdministration,

http://www.nhtsa.gov/About(lastvisitedFeb.22,2012));SeealsoCarolineBroder,PrivacyConcerns

AccompanyPushforEMRs,HealthcareITNews(Feb.28,2005),

http://healthcareitnews.com/news/privacy-concerns-accompany-push-emrs(Ensuringtheprivacy


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RequestforAgencyAction

TheprivacythreatposedbythedeploymentofdroneaircraftintheUnited

Statesisgreat.Thepublicshouldbegiventheopportunitytocommentonthis

development.Inlightoftheaforementionedconsiderations,theundersignedpetitiontheFAAasfollows:

1. TheFAAshouldconductanoticeandcommentrulemakingontheimpactofprivacyandcivillibertiesrelatedtotheuseofdronesintheUnitedStates.In

ordertoadequatelyaddressallofthepotentialthreats,theFAAshould

examineandreportontheimpactonprivacytoindividualswithinthescope

oftheircomprehensiveplantosafelyintegratecivildronesintothenational

airspace,requiredunder322(a)oftheFAAModernizationandReformAct.

2. TheFAAshouldconductanoticeandcommentrulemakingontheimpactofprivacyandcivillibertiesrelatedtotheuseofdronesbygovernmentoperatorspursuanttotheagencyactionsrequiredunder324(c)oftheFAA

ModernizationandReformAct.

3. Thenoticeandcommentrulemakingsshouldtakeintoconsiderationtheuseandretentionofdataacquiredbydroneoperators;therelationbetween

droneoperationandpropertyrights;theabilityofanindividualtoobtaina

restrainingorderagainstadronevehicle;anduselimitationsondrone

vehiclesandrequirementsforenforcementofthoselimitations.Inrelationto

thegovernmentuseofdrones,therulemakingsshouldalsoconsiderthe

applicationofthePrivacyActof1974totheinformationgatheredbydrone

operators.

Contact:MarcRotenberg,EPICExecutiveDirectorandAmieStepanovich,

EPICNationalSecurityCounsel,EPIC,1718ConnecticutAve.,NW,Suite200,

Washington,DC20009.+1202483-1140.

Sincerely,

Organizations

AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion

AmericanLibraryAssociationBillofRightsDefenseCommittee

CenterforDemocracyandTechnology

CenterforDigitalDemocracy

CenterforFinancialPrivacyandHumanRights

andsecurityofelectronicmedicalrecordscouldbeoneofthebiggestchallengestopublicacceptance

ofEMRs.).


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CenterforNationalSecurityStudies

CenterfortheStudyofResponsiveLaw

TheConstitutionProject

ConsumerWatchdog

CouncilofAmerican-IslamicRelations

CyberPrivacyProjectDefendingDissentFoundation

DemandProgress

ElectronicFrontierFoundation

ElectronicPrivacyInformationCenter

EssentialInformation

GlobalJusticeClinic(NewYorkUniversitySchoolofLaw)

GovernmentAccountabilityProject

LibertyCoalition

MuslimPublicAffairsCouncil

NationalImmigrationProjectattheNationalLawyersGuild

OneAmericaPatientPrivacyRights

PrincipledActioninGovernment

PrivacyActivism

PrivacyCamp

PrivacyRightsClearinghouse

RightsWorkingGroup

TakeBackWashington.org

U.S.BillofRightsFoundation

WorldPrivacyForum

MembersoftheEPICAdvisoryBoard

AlessandroAcquisti

StevenAftergood

JamesBamford

GraysonBarber

FrancescaBignami

ChristineBorgman

danahboyd

AddisonFischer

DavidFlaherty

DeborahHurleyJerryKang

IanKerr

ChrisLarsen

RebeccaMacKinnon

GaryMarx

MaryMinow

PabloMolina

PeterG.Neumann

HelenNissenbaum

RayOzzie

DeborahPeel

ChipPitts

BruceSchneierRobertEllisSmith

SherryTurkle


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Individuals

TimAlten

PeterAsaro

CourtneyBarclay

DebraE.BarnardDavidBarnes

(Former)Rep.BobBarr

MargaretBartley

AndrewBashi

M.EdwardBorasky

KathyBrandt

CharlesE.Breitkreutz

BettyL.Brooks

KyleBroom

RobinCarr

ChrisCasperGaryM.Cope

CatherineCrump

ShawnLeeDoyel

AndreaFerrari

GregoryFoster

TedGaudette

GlenGoleburn

MarkGould

TrevorGriffey

MarkGriffin

MaryL.GriffinWilliamGriffin

TheodoreGriffiths

JohnHailey

EricHananoki

StephenHerbert

KeithHuss

MarkHuss

RichardW.Hyatt

JoelInbody

MarcoIacoboni

FredJenningsJosephR.Jones

JamesJ.Kisilewicz

JosephLabiak

DouglasLamb

StephanieLockwood

HaroldLong

LuisLugoJamesW.Macey

RommelMarquez

JamesMattix

DavidMcKinney

JalaineMolina

BridgetteMoore

RalphNadar

KimberleyNielsen

SharonGoottNissim

CarlRonzheimer

VernRoseJeramieD.Scott

ClaraSearcy

MichaelV.Sebastiano

AnirbanSen

GregorySertic

GinaSharbowski

DanielLouisShulman

EmilySibitzky

LisaSimeone

NabihaSyed

MariatuTejanSaadiaToor

BrianTyler

JeJenniferTyler

RobbdeVournai

RebeccaWelch

JamesWiggins

RayWithrow

AnnetteWoodmark

RobinWoods

EleanorWynn

BrianYoungstromDavidZawislak

J.PaulZoccali


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SignaturesAddedSubsequenttoFebruary24,2012

NadiaAbdullah

ChristineDoolittle

AdamGilliam

GeoffreyKirkAlbertManiscalco

BillMichtom

WendyOuellette

EmilSandmann

JohnTherman

PatrickThronson

Documents

Drone privacy and civil liberties Petition 2012 Feb