Category Archives: Legislation

By Gideon Resnick

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia with Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello nearby. Now it is also known as a “No Drone Zone” because of a City Council resolution prohibiting the production, lease or sale of drones within the city limits.

On Feb. 4, the Charlottesville City Council passed the resolution, which also prohibits the use of drones for surveillance, precludes information obtained by drones to be used in court and restricts any drones from carrying “anti-personnel devices.” Mayor Satyendra Huja, who voted for the resolution, is concerned that drones can infringe upon constitutional rights.

“There are no guidelines on how to use drones,” Huja said.   Continue reading →

By Fritz Burgher

Privacy law has evolved over the past century as technology has rapidly improved. To learn about key Supreme Court decisions and how they may relate to domestic surveillance via the use of drones, explore the timeline below.

By Cathaleen Chen and Kimberly Railey

WASHINGTON —The Senate immigration bill would create a a 24/7 surveillance system at U.S. borders that would rely significantly on increased use of drones.

Under the bill, no immigrant with provisional legal status could apply for a green card if the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t effectively secured the border — a benchmark that border hawks want tied to citizenship.

Currently, the U.S. Customs and Border patrol operates 10 unarmed drones.   Continue reading →