Drones Become the Latest Peeping Tom Tool

By Mark J. Donovan

Binoculars, telescopes, and high-end zoom lens cameras have all been used as “Peeping Tom” spy tools. Be it the private citizen pervert or voyeur, the CIA, the FBI, or Federal/State police agencies, all have historically used these tools for spying on neighbors, private citizens, criminals, international enemies, etc. Now the drone has been added to their arsenals. Last week in Hollis, New Hampshire, for example, a report came out that drones were being used as a “Peeping Tom” tool.  Apparently the perp(s) flew their drones in the late evening or early morning hours up to the windows of neighbors home, and then hovered and spied the activities going on in the homes. See here.

Sadly, this type of situation will most likely become much more rampant in the months and years ahead. However, unlike the Hollis, NH report, future drones will be much more difficult to hear and see. Most people won’t know they’ve been filmed or taped, until they’ve been notified that their images are posted on social media channels like Youtube.com, Instagram, and Snapchat, as well as many other more nefarious websites.

In my book “Nano Surveillance”, the story starts out with just such a situation. A housefly sized drone is flown and guided underneath a closed door, and then used to film the activities going on in a hotel room occupied by the Vice President of the United States.

It will be interesting to see how governments around the world develop solutions for combating this type of privacy invasion, and even more interesting how they themselves will use drones to conduct their own spying endeavors. See here. Only time will tell, but suffice it to say, privacy may very well become a forgotten word in the not too distant future.

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I've just re-released my first book NANO SURVEILLANCE, an Orwellian #technothriller. Get it today for just $0.99. See - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DJSZ92O. The book underwent an extensive re-write and edit session over the past month. 5 Stars Review - By Robin Lee : Top 500 Reviewer - "This story goes way beyond our days of "Big Brother" is watching..Good character development and two story plot lines that seamlessly intertwine." Book Synopsis With the country on the brink of financial collapse, billionaire and high tech entrepreneur Dave Henson breaks an old personal oath to himself to remain apolitical as he attempts a daring and dangerous mission to save the country. Dave, along with a small group of engineers at his company NSurv, and his old friend and news reporter Dana Cogswell, decide to use NSurv’s bio-nano sensor technology to bring a whole new level of transparency between the federal government and the public. In the process they discover and reveal a sinister plot by the President and his administration to secretly drain and transfer the country's wealth and power to foreign entities. While Dave and his team covertly work to change the country’s political and economic direction by exposing the corruption in Washington D.C., the President announces his new plans to end global climate change and restore the country's economy. However the President's plans run sinisterly deeper, and include the required use of personal tracking sensors to be installed in every automobile and product sold in the country. If the President's plans become law, Dave is convinced it will destroy the country and provide the government with unfettered surveillance of the public. Dave’s team quickly finds itself intertwined in a deadly war with the President and his allies. As the NSurv team works to capture and report the ultimate story to topple the administration and save the country, the President and his allies stop at nothing to protect their self interests and to capture NSurv's new surveillance technology. Risking life and limb, and a rekindled relationship with Dana, Dave remains undeterred while he leads his team forward in accomplishing their mission. Mentally torn, Dave inevitably has to ask the most from Dana. His request, and her decision on how much to sacrifice of herself, tests their new found relationship and holds the key to their ultimate success.

Drone Registry Information will be Made Available to the Public

Your Registered Eye in the Sky will be Observable to the Public

By Mark J. Donovan

The FAA has confirmed that information logged in its new UAV / Drone registry program will be open to the public. Meaning, the information gathered from everyone who registers a drone will be available to the public. The only information that will be withheld will be email addresses and credit card information. In regards to who needs to register their drone, any drone that weighs between 0.55 lbs and 55 lbs will need to be registered in this program.

It is important to note that this registry program is no different than what is already currently done for traditional aircraft owners. Visit this website and type in any tail number of an aircraft. You’ll quickly see the aircraft owners name, address and specifications about the aircraft.

Although some may have privacy concerns about this new UAV registry program, it should help to put any drone owner/operator on notice about using their drone in a malicious or reckless way. For example, any person that sees a drone being operated in some questionable manner will have the ability to look up in this database for any registered drones in their area and be able to contact their local police department and/or FAA to report the problem and prospective perpetrator.

Again, this same type of registry and private citizen capability already exists today for standard aircraft. For example, if a pilot flies a small plane over a congested area under 1,000 feet above the ground, he or she can expect to hear from the FAA in short order if someone on the ground records the aircraft tail number.

So, although the forced registry of your drone and having some of your personal information made available to the public may sound like you’re registering as a sex offender, it shouldn’t be personally taken that way, unless you indeed have those intentions. It is simply putting you on par with every other owner of traditional aircraft for the public’s safety, and in the case of drones, public privacy.