Skip to main content

Obama will reportedly order privacy guidelines for domestic drone use

Obama will reportedly order privacy guidelines for domestic drone use

Share this story

Privacy guidelines may soon be put in place for drones flying within the US. According to Politico, President Obama plans to issue an executive order to have a set of voluntary privacy guidelines drafted for commercial drones. The guidelines would help protect citizens as these small aircraft — often carrying cameras — become increasingly available. Politico reports that it is not yet known when the order will be issued, but that the White House is working to figure out the proper policy.

A Commerce Department arm will determine the guidelines

Rather than issue the order to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is in charge of regulating drones, the order will instead ask that an arm of the Commerce Department create the rules. That arm, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will reportedly work with companies and advocate groups to determine the guidelines.

Of course, the actual use of commercial drones is still in a fairly convoluted place thanks to the FAA. It's currently working toward establishing clear guidelines for their legal use — as it's been directed to do by Congress — but those don't have to be in place until September 2015.