As San Francisco expands drone usage across city departments, many restrictions on the use of the devices could soon be lifted. Rosie Bultman, with our partners at the San Francisco Public Press, has more.
San Francisco’s Committee on Information Technology last month quietly reviewed a policy that would loosen baseline requirements for all city departments that use drones.
Major changes include a shift toward storing raw drone data, increased opportunities for information sharing and softened privacy requirements around personal identifying information found in drone footage.
Some are excited about the newly proposed policy, hoping that it can pave the way for developments like drone package deliveries by Amazon.
Critics warn it reflects anti-privacy practice, increases risks for data breaches, and signals a potential attempt by the city to avoid accountability.
“How much will change as a result of the proposal remains to be seen, as experts point out the policy’s lack of a clear enforcement mechanism.”
The Committee on Information Technology will consider final approval in the next few months.