CREST HAVEN – Although Cape May County government does not employ unmanned aerial system (drone) technology, freeholders adopted voluntary guidelines Dec. 26 to ensure that the county and any contractors working for it do not violate the privacy of residents. Current UAS technology enables operators to fly drones equipped with sensing and recording devices, including cameras, over private property for the purposes of collecting information.
The guidelines address government and commercial usage of drones to collect data on citizens; the guidelines also provide information to recreational users who may not understand essential privacy limitations related to flying drones near or over private property.
According to Cape May County Counsel James Arsenault, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) was charged with developing a policy to create basic guidelines for responsible UAS usage by President Obama in Feb.ruary 2015.
By resolution, the county will abide by those guidelines if and when the county or any contractor to the county uses UAS technology in the performance of their responsibilities.
Here are the basics:
Policy Basics
UAS users must comply with all federal, state and local UAS laws and regulations; the NTIA policy does not create new law but does establish general “best practices” guidelines to ensure users are using their drone responsibly.
In addition to complying with existing laws, operators are urged to give prior notice to anyone who may be a subject of data collection by drone.
Operators are to avoid retaining information beyond what is necessary. Operators should not share that information with anyone, including marketing companies unless necessary, and with the consent of the resident.
Any data that is collected must be safeguarded to prevent unauthorized access. User organizations should develop their own policies that address these and other issues about their collection, retention, and use of personal data using UAS technology.
A process to receive and address complaints from the public regarding perceived privacy violations should be established to ensure transparency.
Be a “Neighborly” Drone User
Recreational drone use is expanding in this nation. In addition to complying with Federal Aviation Administration and local restrictions, users should be aware of best practices issued by the government.
The FAA has issued guidelines for recreational users that are part of the guidelines used for government and commercial users.
These common-sense, recreational best practices include ensuring that users do not fly over private property without consent because everyone has an expectation that their privacy will be respected. Users should not gather any data, photos, etc. without the expressed consent of the person being monitored.
Data must be secured and deleted upon the request of the person being monitored.
Responsible users will listen to the concerns of residents and will not use their drone to harass anyone or cause disruption based on their presence.
The full text of the NTIA guidelines may be found at HTTP://knowbeforeyoufly.org
