Some of you are on Farber's list, and won't be surprised. What's of local interest is that most drones are flight-tested at White Sands. A good friend, old military guy, is eager for non-classified info on this to be made public. "There are," he says, "some ethical issues here." Well, yeah.
Pamela Begin forwarded message: > From: Dave Farber <d...@farber.net> > Date: January 10, 2012 5:44:19 PM MST > To: "ip" <i...@listbox.com> > Subject: [IP] EFF: Who Is Flying Unmanned Aircraft in the U.S.? > Reply-To: d...@farber.net > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: EFF Press <pr...@eff.org> > Date: Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 7:33 PM > Subject: [E-B] EFF: Who Is Flying Unmanned Aircraft in the U.S.? > To: pressl...@eff.org > > > Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release > > For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 > > Contact: > > Jennifer Lynch > Staff Attorney > Electronic Frontier Foundation > jly...@eff.org > +1 415-436-9333 x136 > > Who Is Flying Unmanned Aircraft in the U.S.? > > Government Withholds Information on Drone Flight > Authorizations > > San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) > filed suit today against the U.S. Department of > Transportation (DOT), demanding data on certifications and > authorizations the agency has issued for the operation of > unmanned aircraft, also known as drones. > > Drones are designed to carry surveillance equipment – > including video cameras, infrared cameras and heat sensors, > and radar – that can allow for sophisticated and almost > constant surveillance. They can also carry weapons. > Traditionally, drones have been used almost exclusively by > military and security organizations. However, the U.S. > Customs and Border Protection uses drones inside the United > States to patrol the U.S. borders, and state and local law > enforcement are increasingly using unmanned aircraft for > investigations into things like cattle rustling, drug > dealing, and the search for missing persons. > > Any drone flying over 400 feet needs a certification or > authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration, > part of the DOT. But there is currently no information > available to the public about who specifically has obtained > these authorizations or for what purposes. EFF filed a > Freedom of Information Act request in April of 2011 for > records of unmanned aircraft activities, but the DOT so far > has failed to provide the information. > > "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," said EFF Staff Attorney Jennifer Lynch. "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." > > Dozens of companies and research organizations are working > to develop even more sophisticated drones, so their use is > poised for a dramatic expansion in the coming years. > Meanwhile, news reports indicate that the FAA is studying > ways to integrate more drones into the national airspace > because of increased demand from federal, state, and local > governments. EFF's lawsuit asks for immediate response to > our FOIA request, including the release of data on any > certificates and authorizations issued for unmanned > aircraft flights, expired authorizations, and any > applications that have been denied. > > "The use of drones in American airspace could dramatically > increase the physical tracking of citizens – tracking that > can reveal deeply personal details about our private > lives," said Lynch. "We're asking the DOT to follow the > law and respond to our FOIA request so we can learn more > about who is flying the drones and why." > > For the full complaint: > https://www.eff.org/sites/default/files/filenode/EFFDroneComplaint.pdf > > For more on this case: > https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/drones-are-watching-you > > For this release: > https://www.eff.org/press/releases/who-flying-unmanned-aircraft-us > > About EFF > > The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading > organization protecting civil liberties in the digital > world. Founded in 1990, we defend free speech online, fight > illegal surveillance, promote the rights of digital > innovators, and work to ensure that the rights and freedoms > we enjoy are enhanced, rather than eroded, as our use of > technology grows. EFF is a member-supported organization. > Find out more at https://www.eff.org. > > > -end- > > _______________________________________________ > To unsubscribe or manage your email options: > https://mail1.eff.org/mailman/listinfo/presslist > > Archives | Modify Your Subscription | Unsubscribe Now "Ah, the Mayan calendar. You're driving a Toyota. The odometer flips from 100,000 to 0, but your car is still running, still needs gas, still needs you to drive on. That's all the Mayan calendar is." Mayan scholar Jerry Sabloff
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
