Drones: In Technology We Trust?

Melissa S. Hersh, Michael Hopmeier

Security, United States

There are myriad dangers that come with drone use. But in order to protect against the "drone threat," we must first understand what the "drone threat" is...

Even if you weren’t aware, this was the summer of drones. Not surprisingly, their surge in use has prompted calls to both relax and in other cases bolster regulations on this new, still-emerging technology. However, until we actually quantify and understand the threat posed by small and miniature commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—or drones—we should hold off on erratic efforts to rapidly put in place ad hoc, local and state regulations.

Drones are undoubtedly a boon to many areas of society, from emergency response to industry to academia, yet they also present vulnerabilities and threats never before considered. We have heard about drones causing dangerous situations for manned aircraft and emergency responders. We have heard about drones becoming a tool of perverts, spies and criminals everywhere, as well as a hovering, disruptive expression of nationalism and team spirit. Much of the specious chatter conflates prescriptive societal risk with the actual risk impact from negligent or nefarious drones. In reality, the actual risk posed by recreational and commercial drones is unknown. We lack the data. So, while we must absolutely move forward to rapidly get ahead of the “drone threat” we must expend equal if not more effort trying to understand what the “drone threat” is. Furthermore, the potential counters to negligent and nefarious drone use are as varied and complicated as the uses of drones themselves.

Today’s approach to managing the “drone threat” is an eclectic mix of laws, public service announcements and educational outreach. While these may be fine for law-abiding, civically minded recreationalists and commercial operators concerned about brand reputation, it is not a fail-safe for preventing accidents or deliberate criminal activity, nor is this a catch-all for who, what, where, when and how to respond to negligent- or nefarious-use cases.

Many of the haphazard policy, regulatory and operational solutions currently being considered are fraught with serious shortcomings and unanticipated negative outcomes. We’re reacting as we have so many times in the past; after the emotional energy has deserted us, we realize that we have wasted time, money, effort and stymied industry to enact regulatory policy, and worst of all, we are none the wiser or safer for it. We must break this reactionary policy cycle.

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