Who's Flying Those Drones? FAA Won't Say 405
netbuzz writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation nine months ago filed a Freedom of Information Act request to prompt the FAA to release the names of government agencies and private entities that have received permission to fly unmanned aircraft over our heads. Nine months later, the FAA has neither released the information nor explained why it hasn't. On Tuesday the EFF filed suit (PDF) to force the agency to do so. Says EFF staff attorney Jennifer Lynch: 'Drones give the government and other unmanned aircraft operators a powerful new surveillance tool to gather extensive and intrusive data on Americans' movements and activities. As the government begins to make policy decisions about the use of these aircraft, the public needs to know more about how and why these drones are being used to surveil United States citizens.'"
When they're shot down, you'll know (Score:5, Informative)
Surveillance on US Citizens is wrong, but we the people have let our politicians rule over us and we gave them permission to do this. We constantly re-elect the same political individuals who have systematically stripped our rights away from the citizens of this country all in the name of "they know what's good for us". Well once those drones are taken down, that's when the FAA will try to step out of the picture and the owners who have to replace these (at taxpayer expense mind you) will come a hootin' and hollerin' claiming they need more Federal $ from the budget office to replace their drones.
Re:If they were manned aircraft would it be an iss (Score:2, Informative)
It is not reasonable for a police officer to watch your door, 24x7... unless there's been a warrant issued.
While there may be no expectation of "privacy", it's not the same thing as expecting the State is constantly watching.
Not the same thing at all.
Re:Get rid of Bush and elect a Progressive (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I've never actually seen one of these drones in (Score:5, Informative)
Hello, former sensor guy here.
No, they are very rarely detectable from the ground. Look at how efficient the exhaust system on a prius is at reducing acoustic signatures. Now put that on a plane that's blue-gray and 16000 feet over you and smaller than a cessna (in fuselage size).
Barely ever spotted unless deliberately flying low.
Re:I wanna be a warlord! (Score:4, Informative)
I would have guessed at Occupy Wall Street since the media seems to be obsessed by it and it's constantly in the news.
Re:US = (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Why? OWS, for one thing... (Score:4, Informative)
In any case, members of the US military swear an oath to defend the Constitution. Asking the US Military to "take out" American citizens would likely incite a civil war;
No, it barely got noticed in the news.
http://jonathanturley.org/2011/09/30/did-obama-just-assassinate-a-u-s-citizen-aulaqi-killing-raises-questions-over-presidential-powers/ [jonathanturley.org]
Re:Why? OWS, for one thing... (Score:2, Informative)
WRONG.
We are bringing the troops home now because that is what BUSH agreed to years ago......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdrawal_of_U.S._troops_from_Iraq
Quote:
In 2008, the US and Iraqi government signed the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement which implments that all US forces would withdraw from Iraqi cities by 30 June 2009 and that All US Forces would be mandated to withdraw from Iraqi territory by 31 December 2011 under the terms of a bilateral agreement.
On 14 December 2008, then-U.S. President George W. Bush signed the security pact with Iraq. In his fourth and final trip to Iraq, the president appeared with Iraq's prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and said more work is to be done.