Do Drones Pose a Threat on Personal Privacy?

Drone technology gained quick popularity due to its innovative and futuristic features. With the introduction of drone system to accomplish various tasks during lockdown, the long existing concern about the security threat imposed by drones also resurfaces. Drones are extremely useful for managing delivery of essential supplies at times of social distancing. This blog will mention the role of drones in helping us out in this pandemic but also will alert you the threat it somehow pose on your personal privacy. I will also include solution to handle the situation if drones go berserk.    

It is easily interpreted that drones were initially introduced to secure national security and manage surveillance. Throughout the years, its applications further progressed and now they are used to serve multiple purposes.

Introduction of drones for national security

Following the FAA Modernization and Reform Act passage in 2012, drones that were previously made for national security, got sanctioned for domestic use.

By 2015, the drones which were unmanned aircraft systems were directed to be integrated into the national airspace. Although it was a revolutionary step, many governmental organizations became concerned over the security breach issues associated with drones armed with cameras and sophisticated equipments which were lacking safeguards. There were several incidents where air drones breached all security measures and just flew in despite no aerial permissions. Some of the domestic drones were even reported to halt airlines and resulted in several of them getting cancelled.

Drones were banned in many countries including India in 2014 but the ban got lifted in the following years as it was perceived to be an impractical ban. Although it came with a regulatory policy which had to be followed by the users.

The new regulatory policy opened up multiple scopes for usage of this aircraft technology for unmanned aviation applications. In the course of latest COVID-19 pandemic, drones have been assigned various tasks to accomplish under lockdown period.

Role of drones in handling the pandemic

1.Detection of virus

Pandemic drones are laced with temperature sensors and computer vision which identify the symptoms of COVID-19. One of the advantages of these drones is to be able to perform this task from a safe distance. They are also capable to detect coughing or sneezing around a distance of 10 m. This has helped to monitor people in wide public spaces and crowded places as well such as medical facilities. This helps researchers to make accurate analysis of the infection spread.

2.Aerial disinfection

Agricultural drones that have been previously used for spraying insecticides and pesticides over agricultural areas are now being modified to spray disinfectants over large areas. This helps in covering  a large scaled area in lesser time. There is no involvement of humans throughout the process and hence it is the safest method to sterilize an area without the risks of contamination. Sprayer drones have been a success in countries such as Spain, UAE, China, Indonesia, Chile, Columbia, Philippines, etc.

3.Home deliveries of food and medicines

Although food deliveries are still under operation but many food companies are adopting drone-deliveries for better and safer deliveries of essential items to people located in remote places. Such areas are easily covered with drones that are not possible to reach. Emergency medical deliveries have become possible to be made at short notice.

4.For effective surveillance

Probably the original purpose that drones were invented to serve is still an effective additional feature. World leaders have appealed and implemented strict lockdown procedure in all states but it is easily predicted that not everyone abides by it. It is necessary to keep such individuals in check. Surveillance drones make sure that proper quarantine measures are being followed and law enforcement applications are successfully implemented on public to follow social distancing rules. The trend which was initiated in China have gone global and is equally successful with few hiccups here and there.

5.Drones- security or threat?

Although despite a complex application and approval procedures, this still raises the question at lack of thorough monitoring of smaller drones and their movements.  

Drones have immense potential and tremendous applications in various aspects, including the aforementioned role in curbing COVID-19 spread. But with huge potential, it can easily be corrupted to invade security measures. Having unregistered drones flying over your property with possibly capturing your private moments is the biggest threat that is imposed by this technology. In worse case scenarios, their misuse have grown since they are excellent spies and unmanned. Unethical activities can be easily deployed via drones such as invasion of privacy, trespassing, corporate espionage, illegal surveillance and photography and even robbery.

We have observed numerous unidentified drone activities in past several years. For example, in 2017, the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi suffered time loss and halt for 40 minutes due to detection of a drone flying around the area. Similar incidents were observed in 2018 several times.

Reason of such difficulties is that the new regulatory policy can control few drone activity but not al. There are some loop holes that malicious minds around the policy and they get on with their acts uninterrupted.

Threats imposed by drones can be described as follows:

1.Invasion of privacy

Drones are equipped with well ranged camera with great resolution. They can record images and audio from undetected areas. That means your identity is already compromised when you get clicked by drone camera which could turn bothersome for you when your image is misused.

2.Terrorist attacks

There are unlimited possibilities for illegal activities performed via drones. Militants could record movement and identify officials through facial recognition. They could be mapped out along with their establishments.

3.Undetectable threat

The data in the drones can be stored in cloud and hence can be breached and modified based on the facial records. The person has no knowledge about this new activity as the source can-not be detected.

4.Web information security

Dwarf or mini drones are equipped with Pi computers that are programmed to detect and utilise Wi-Fi signals. These are legitimately utilized by researchers to assess the remote security of selected establishments that are located outside the range of internet access. For example cyber security operations of power stations, oil rigs that are located beyond usual access points are operated via drones.  Threat comes from hackers and rival companies that can use exact same wavelength to track and syc with the establishment, and gaining full access to the whole system. scary and unrealistic.

Same phenomenon can be applied to track and gain access to any infrastructure establishment.

5.Literal physical threat

Drones are airborne devices with distantly-operated manoeuvre. There are big chances of drones getting out of control due to miscalculations, device system malfunction or simply the user losing their grip. There might be some targeted attacks too aimed at physically harming an individual or group of individuals, depending upon the size of the drone. In all possible scenarios, uncontrollable drones become legit literal embodiment of threat. Usually hovering at greater heights, when malfunctioned, a crashing drone can hit a person like a rock. Depending upon the size of the drone, damage would be unsettled.

Only mentioning some rules for flying a drone is not sufficient. It has to be made sure that the drone mechanisms are being properly checked and they are indeed abiding by the rules.  

How to protect yourself from spying drones

The first step, find the owner

If you happen to find the owner of the drone, your first course of action should be to ask them politely to stop. In most cases, being civilised is sufficient. If otherwise, you should file a formal complaint against them or go for any of the following solutions.

Blind the drone

The cameras of the drone are its eyes. Disable the camera through a device that scans and jam the Wi-Fi signal of the drone. You need to take authorised permission to gain access to the device though as it is illegal in some countries.

Disrupt the drone signals

Drones basically are operated via radio waves of certain frequencies. In order to disrupt their signal, you can use electromagnetic field which jams the signal and the drone crashed down where you can seize it.

Hack them

If you are really worried about a suspicious drone that keep hovering over your property then you can take help of your programmer buddy who could gain access to the drone and hack the device. There is some coding game involved here that you can learn on your own.

Get your territory registered as a no-fly zone

 Areas labelled as no drone zone would be the safest to live in if you are worried about your privacy. Some residential areas that come under judicial territory are already a no fly zones. In future, if more reports of mischievous drones emerge, permits for no fly zones needs to be sanctioned.

Fish them out

Using nets to catch drones was a tech firm’s idea which have been employed in Tokyo and Michigan. Smaller and unauthorised drones are either led towards net-weilding bigger drones or cornered. It is the cheapest and quite effective method to catch those swarming drones flying illegally over your property.

Lasers

It is yet to be authorised for domestic use but this one has to be the most extreme step towards eradication of drone problem. The US Army has military grade lasers mounted on their armoured patrolling vehicles that have the permission to shoot down any unauthorised mechanical bird fluttering over their area. It is not for civilian use for obvious reasons, but is definitely one of the awesomest solutions.

Drone-hunting birds

This is an idea that is still under processing but there are some Netherlander trainers that are training Eagles to catch drones and bring them down. This is the best method for desperate people who want drones off their lands. Chances are high that the drones won’t suffer too much damage so that if the owner of the drone politely asks it back, there won’t be any hard feelings.

In conclusion

Drones were built to gain aerial view that further evolved into various applications. These are product of smart innovations that have saved lives in many situations. Freshest example is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation which is being handled by lockdown and law enforced surveillance including drones. However, there has always been a risk of security breach and most prevalent privacy invasion. The potential risks and their solutions that I have listed in this blog would give you an insight of the misuse of drone technology that could be resolved with some smart solutions. Law has its own fair share of role to play in order to protect public privacy from such invention that was originally made for enhancing security rather than breaching it.