Thursday, June 28, 2012

Senator Schumer to Google and Apple: Don't Be a Peeping Tom!



Coming on the heels of Senator Rand (R-KY) introducing legislation earlier this month that would require police to obtain a warrant before using an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to conduct surveillance (See: Preserving Freedom From Unwarranted Surveillance Act of 2012), Senator Schumer (D-NY) has recently warned Google, Apple, and others about their current and future plans to collect aerial imagery.  Of specific concern are emerging systems that will deliver imagery to the public that is as accurate as previously found only in the classified world. A thought which has lead Senator Schumer to level the following warning: Don't Be a Peeping Tom!  For more on this development, use the appropriate link below:



Comment: It's going to be a fine line we walk going forward.  On the one hand, the technology Senator Schumer is concerned about serves the common good - particularly so when it comes to emergency preparedness and response.  On the other hand, in order to safeguard personal privacy, there needs to be limits on how that technology is used.  So it's a good thing Senator Schumer and others on the Hill are paying attention now, because in the years going forward, they are going to have a lot of work to do defining those boundaries.

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