Drones...should you be scared for your privacy?

[spencurai]

Nope.

I have been doing a lot of filming for a project lately and have been approached by several people asking about drones and privacy. I do my best to explain to them that drones are relatively harmless and are not at all stealthy enough in civilian settings to do any real spying that could in any way be construed as a violation of personal privacy. To illustrate the point I bring my drone in within a couple of hundred feet to demonstrate just how noisy these machines are. Civilian drones sound like flying quadruple weed whackers and there is nothing stealthy about them. I then demonstrate just how little I can actually see from a few hundred feet away through the 720p HD stream I am receiving on the controls of the craft.

This article does a good job of dispelling the myths perpetuated by uneducated commentators as to why people should be more worried about zoom lenses (which are EXTREMELY RARE and basically useless for filming on civilian drones).

http://petapixel.com/2015/08/21/are...nses-for-spying-the-answer-may-creep-you-out/

I would love to hear what everyone thinks and feels about civilian drones and I would be more than happy to answer any questions and possibly even give a demonstration if we have any upcoming RME events.

 

[Kiel]

Had a drone flying around our neighborhood the last couple summers. Sorta annoying seeing it hover 100 feet off your property watching you obviously. Long story short, I have a huge hop trellis and the drone hit it and it lost its camera into our neighbors yard last year. We looked at it and it was looking in windows of houses etc. Sorta creepy, they weren't of our house but needless to say the camera was turned over to the police, not sure what happened after that, but I haven't seen it in a while

 

[jmaxj]

^^this is why I'll shoot any drone out of the sky if it's over my property. I have teenage girls and won't tolerate and long distance peeping Tom. That and they're obnoxious and annoying.

 

[spencurai]

Had a drone flying around our neighborhood the last couple summers. Sorta annoying seeing it hover 100 feet off your property watching you obviously. Long story short, I have a huge hop trellis and the drone hit it and it lost its camera into our neighbors yard last year. We looked at it and it was looking in windows of houses etc. Sorta creepy, they weren't of our house but needless to say the camera was turned over to the police, not sure what happened after that, but I haven't seen it in a while

I'm not saying people won't try to use this technology to try and peep but like I said, it is hard to miss the sound of 4 weed whackers flying around. There are inconsiderate people out there and they should have a talking to by law enforcement and a lesson in basic etiquette. This technology isn't going away...EVER...but learning how to be considerate of neighbors is a skill that is lost on many people.

^^this is why I'll shoot any drone out of the sky if it's over my property. I have teenage girls and won't tolerate and long distance peeping Tom. That and they're obnoxious and annoying.

Just an FYI, it is illegal to shoot down an aircraft. The FAA considers drones as civilian aircraft and you will probably go to jail and be required to compensate the owner of the damaged personal property if you shoot down someone's drone. The article I linked in my initial post details why you shouldn't be worried about drones peeping on you as they don't usually posses any kind of zoom function. A 50$ point and shoot digital camera from wal-mart used from an upstairs bedroom window would be a better tool if someone were interested in peeping on your teenage children. Do you usually pull a gun on the neighbors when they pop their head over the fence to see your kids?

http://petapixel.com/2015/06/29/man-wins-lawsuit-against-neighbor-who-shot-down-drone-with-shotgun/

Your best course of action if you feel like your privacy is being invaded is to speak to the owner of the drone like a civilized human being and express your concerns. Drones have relatively short battery lives and are easy to track back to the owner...all you have to do it wait for it to fly back to where it launched from. I understand you may find the sound annoying but it is no more annoying than an airplane, helicopter, lawnmower or weed whacker.

 

[jmaxj]

I'm not saying people won't try to use this technology to try and peep but like I said, it is hard to miss the sound of 4 weed whackers flying around. There are inconsiderate people out there and they should have a talking to by law enforcement and a lesson in basic etiquette. This technology isn't going away...EVER...but learning how to be considerate of neighbors is a skill that is lost on many people.



Just an FYI, it is illegal to shoot down an aircraft. The FAA considers drones as civilian aircraft and you will probably go to jail and be required to compensate the owner of the damaged personal property if you shoot down someone's drone. The article I linked in my initial post details why you shouldn't be worried about drones peeping on you as they don't usually posses any kind of zoom function. A 50$ point and shoot digital camera from wal-mart used from an upstairs bedroom window would be a better tool if someone were interested in peeping on your teenage children. Do you usually pull a gun on the neighbors when they pop their head over the fence to see your kids?

http://petapixel.com/2015/06/29/man-wins-lawsuit-against-neighbor-who-shot-down-drone-with-shotgun/

Your best course of action if you feel like your privacy is being invaded is to speak to the owner of the drone like a civilized human being and express your concerns. Drones have relatively short battery lives and are easy to track back to the owner...all you have to do it wait for it to fly back to where it launched from. I understand you may find the sound annoying but it is no more annoying than an airplane, helicopter, lawnmower or weed whacker.

No big deal it's just jail, it's worth it to keep someone from trying to peep on little girls. And a neighbor popping his head over the fence is different then someone looking in Windows. The annoying part I can deal with, I deal with apaches and blackhawks on a regular basis. I'd gladly speak to the owner of the drone like a human but the problem these days is you can't. The majority seems to think they can do what they want and if you try to talk to them they get Pissed because your asking them to stop.

 

[bobdog]

I guess I have to stop sunbathing naked.

 

[spencurai]

No big deal it's just jail, it's worth it to keep someone from trying to peep on little girls. And a neighbor popping his head over the fence is different then someone looking in Windows. The annoying part I can deal with, I deal with apaches and blackhawks on a regular basis. I'd gladly speak to the owner of the drone like a human but the problem these days is you can't. The majority seems to think they can do what they want and if you try to talk to them they get Pissed because your asking them to stop.

OK so maybe I'm not being clear...Peeping with a drone doesn't really work. The basic optics and zoom of 99% of drones out there matches the perspective of the human eye. What this means is that if you see a drone, imagine that is the head of the pilot of said drone if he were floating up in the sky. The perspective of the drone is optically similar to the human perspective. You can't zoom in so way up there in the sky, you can't really see much because you're far away. If a drone pilot wanted a decent "spying" shot of you at the BBQ in your backyard, they would have to fly down to essentially eye level to get a good shot at which point you could simply pluck the drone from the sky and deliver it to local law enforcement without discharging a firearm in city limits which is, as we all know, highly illegal.

The whole point of my post is this...most drone operators aren't psycho perverts, we are just photographers and videographers that are seeking a different visual perspective so don't fear something you don't understand...if anyone in the Salt Lake area wants a demo, I would be more than happy to show what a drone can, and cannot do so you can know without a doubt what is going on.

I am going to be getting into the real-estate promotion sector soon and I would hate to have my personal property gunned from the sky while I was trying to help a home-owner sell their house. It will be my policy to door knock around the properties to inform and educate them about what I am doing and to set their minds at ease.

This technology is NEVER going away so learning to deal with it is important to me.


Please take a minute and read this article...it's fascinating!

http://petapixel.com/2015/08/21/are...nses-for-spying-the-answer-may-creep-you-out/

 

[idahoyj]

The whole point of my post is this...most drone operators are psycho perverts, we are just photographers and videographers that are seeking a different visual perspective so don't fear something you don't understand.

I hope there's a typo in there?

 

[Spork]

I guess I have to stop sunbathing naked.

Funny I thought I would start.... :greg:

 

[spencurai]

I hope there's a typo in there?

lol autocomplete....my nemesis!!

 

[jmaxj]

OK so maybe I'm not being clear...Peeping with a drone doesn't really work. The basic optics and zoom of 99% of drones out there matches the perspective of the human eye. What this means is that if you see a drone, imagine that is the head of the pilot of said drone if he were floating up in the sky. The perspective of the drone is optically similar to the human perspective. You can't zoom in so way up there in the sky, you can't really see much because you're far away. If a drone pilot wanted a decent "spying" shot of you at the BBQ in your backyard, they would have to fly down to essentially eye level to get a good shot at which point you could simply pluck the drone from the sky and deliver it to local law enforcement without discharging a firearm in city limits which is, as we all know, highly illegal.

The whole point of my post is this...most drone operators aren't psycho perverts, we are just photographers and videographers that are seeking a different visual perspective so don't fear something you don't understand...if anyone in the Salt Lake area wants a demo, I would be more than happy to show what a drone can, and cannot do so you can know without a doubt what is going on.

I am going to be getting into the real-estate promotion sector soon and I would hate to have my personal property gunned from the sky while I was trying to help a home-owner sell their house. It will be my policy to door knock around the properties to inform and educate them about what I am doing and to set their minds at ease.

This technology is NEVER going away so learning to deal with it is important to me.


Please take a minute and read this article...it's fascinating!

http://petapixel.com/2015/08/21/are...nses-for-spying-the-answer-may-creep-you-out/

So your saying the technology isn't there to get a picture or video into Windows from 100' up?

Let me be clear, I'm not saying I'm going to go shoot down any random drone I see. And I'm not fully against them either, got a few friends that own them and they do offer a different perspective on things. And if someone like you knocked on my door and said " hi I'm so and so and I'm going to be flying my drone around a bit to film the house up the street to help it sell" I would be completely fine with that given the fact that your not hovering and circling above my property. It's a respect thing, and many of these drone guys just don't have it. All I'm saying is if I find one circling my property I will shoot it down. The simple fact is people are pervs no matter what, I caught guys on a Mule trail in the narrows at strawberry reservoir taking pics at our boat, which yes my teenage girls were in their swimsuits on. I'm not scared of them nor do I not understand them. I just don't trust many people these days. Too many bad circumstances and if you have teenage girls you'll see what I'm talking about just going to the store. That's my issue.

In short long distance peeping Tom's will be out lots of money if they wanna try it over my property. True photographers and videographers I have no issues with.

 

[sawtooth4x4]

Shotgun check.

 

[skiboarder]

Shotgun check.

That's the exact same thing I was thinking.. Skeet practice.

 

[cuban b]

It seems everyone is missing the point.

 

[jeeper]

It seems everyone is missing the point.

I think there will be an obvious difference between a drone filming a house for sale next door, or a drone flying over the neighborhood for recreational purpose, and a drone that is being used to look at a persons back yard or children. I think there will be a very obvious intent by the way the drone is flying.

Hovered directly over MY yard? Circling the window where my wife showers? making multiple visits? That sucker is going down!

Flies over my house with a consistent speed? continues along a charted course? Let it live.

 

[MikeGyver]

wow, you guys are e-thugs.

Would you honestly discharge a firearm into the air in your neighborhood at an R/C toy?
Some people should not own guns plain and simple.

If you feel violated by the toy go walk two houses down and confront the kid flying it (explode his brains or whatever...), duh.

 

[rondo]

pellet gun?
Utah is full of drivers who are completely insensitive and oblivious to those around them; would expect the same of a drone driver haha

 

[Kevin B.]

If you feel violated by the toy go walk two houses down and confront the kid flying it

Have you seen Spence? I'm gonna blow up his drone and run like hell.

 

[Marsh99]

I wouldn't be worried about the drone spying on your daughters. I would be more worried about the hackers using your girls cell phone camera against her. Why spend thousands of dollars for a loud conspicuous device, when your daughter is already carrying a camera that is better quality inside the house with her.

 

[Skylinerider]

Most drones have GoPro's attached. GoPro's have no zoom. zero. There are very few drones that can lift a heavy camera with a zoom lens. and even fewer that can get a steady shot at zoom with that camera.
I agree with Marsh99, you should be more worried about your childrens cell phones and webcams.