Urban Unmanned Aerial Systems Operations

Abstract

The drone sector offers a wide range of affordances, opportunities, and economic benefits for society. Delivery services, agriculture monitoring, wildfire control, public infrastructure inspections, humanitarian aid, or drone journalism, are among the activities enhanced by unmanned aerial systems (UAS). No surprise the civilian UAS market is growing fast throughout the world. Yet, on a daily basis, newspapers report serious concerns for people infringing other people’s rights through the use of drones. Cybersecurity attacks, data theft, criminal offences brought about the use of this technology frame the picture. Nowadays, several countries are changing their legal rules to properly address such challenges. In 2018, the European Union (EU) started its five year-long regulative process that should establish the common rules and standards for UAS operations within the EU Single Sky by 2023. A similar timeline has been adopted in the United States, so as to provide the jurisdictional boundaries for the civilian use of drones. The United Kingdom (UK) and Japan are adopting new rules too. From a legal point of view, the overall framework is thus rapidly evolving. The aim of this paper is to give attention to (i) privacy and data protection concerns raised by UAS operations; (ii) their monitoring functions and corresponding surveillance issues; and, (iii) how a privacy preserving approach – such as with privacy by design technologies, organizational measures, audit procedures, civic involvement, to name a few – makes a lawful and ethical use of this powerful technology possible.

Law, Socio-Legal Governance, the Internet of Things, and Industry 4.0: A Middle-Out/Inside-Out Approach

“…In the case of extended vehicles and autonomous cars, competition law, for example, can only partially solve some of the issues that arise on data portability and access rights [65]. The civilian use of drones, unmanned aerial systems, and autonomous vehicles require enriched regulatory systems to implement security and privacy principles [66][67][68]. Smart cities are natural environments for linked open data [35,69] and this will give rise to legal questions at frequency and volume that the traditional legal approach cannot process and adjudicate.…”

Civil Drone Ethics and Sustainability

“…If the process couldn't be completed live or the camera doesn't have zooming capabilities, they suggest using data processing software onboard to automatically delete footage of prohibited objects. Bassi recommends incorporating data retention by design [15]. Bassi states they should be capable of turning on and off sensors during the flight, masking private areas, and automatic pixelation of faces.…”

The Governance of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS): Aviation Law, Human Rights, and the Free Movement of Data in the EU

“…Consultations with stakeholders and forms of participation related to the use of drones can increase both the awareness of social benefits and knowledge of best practices and recommended behaviours for diminishing risks for safety and privacy. A sound model of governance for this field should thus include forms of involvement for the alignment of societal values and comprehension of public opinion, much as responsible experimentation could improve our understanding of how highly sophisticated technological systems may satisfy human needs (Bassi 2019b).…”