CBS 2 Investigation: Beware Of Domestic Drones — The High-Flying Spies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The use of drones in overseas conflicts has been the source of growing controversy over the years, and now, police are using them to hunt down criminals.
In the world of warfare, the drones are guided on combat missions remotely by pilots and computers thousands of miles away. But now, anyone can buy a drone — without the weapons — to fly here at home.
As CBS 2 investigative reporter Tamara Leitner reported Wednesday, that trend has a lot of people worried. The use of domestic drones has raised some serious safety concerns and is said to be a big threat to privacy.
While not as large, civilian drones are nearly as sophisticated, using high-definition cameras and GPS devices.
Some drones can fly as far as three football fields away, recording and streaming video the entire way.
Sameer Parekh of Falkor Systems programmed a drone to follow a T-shirt Leitner was wearing. He could actually see the drone following her.
“As you’re moving around, the camera could see our company logo and then follow you around,” Parekh explained.
Another custom-built drone provided a spectacular view nearly from 200 feet over Brooklyn.
The drones are loud on the ground, but barely detectable to the eye or ear in the sky. That is exactly what has critics worried.
They say it is one thing to fly a drone in an open field and a controlled environment, but even enthusiasts have concerns about one of these machines potentially being abused.
“My concerns relate to safety, because we don’t have the technology right now for drones to fly safely in crowded environments,” Parekh said.
