Unlike terrorists, potential terrorists and those who happen to live near terrorists abroad, Americans don't necessarily have to worry about death from above yet. However, with the FAA predicting that up to 30,000 surveillance drones could be in operation in the US within the next 8 years, other concerns with respect to their use have recently come into the spotlight.
While most domestic anti-drone sentiment to date has come from those who would like to be able to live their lives without eyes on them at all times, it would appear that there are plain old safety concerns related to their use as well. In a recent example, Infowars.com reported on a close call an airplane near Denver had with what appeared to be an unmanned drone. From the site:
A mystery object, thought to be a military or law enforcement drone, flying in controlled airspace over Denver almost caused a catastrophic mid air crash with a commercial jet Monday.
As noted above, privacy advocates are up in arms about drone use. However, without regulations outlining exactly how these high-flying cameras will be used, it appears that safety issues exist as well; even those who manage to go without being watched on a regular basis may still have to contend with the consequences of drone use.
Short of drone programs being discontinued (which seems unlikely at this point), here's hoping that some very firm rules are established for their use. Otherwise, they will be watching our lives while they are putting them in danger. Despite some legitimate uses, it is difficult to see the benefit in that.
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