On October 27, 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that bans the use of “unmanned aircraft and remote controlled aircraft” near stadiums. The move comes in the wake of a number of reports worldwide, including within the United States, of “drone” use at sporting events. Though these incidents certainly raise legitimate safety … [Read more...] about Drone Fear and the FAA Ban on Model Aircraft Near Stadiums
Implications of U.S. Indictment of Chinese Officers for Cyber Espionage
Today, the United States Department of Justice indicted five Chinese military officers related to alleged cyber espionage against U.S. companies. At the same time, John T. Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, sent a letter to President Obama arguing that NSA efforts to undermine global Internet security undermine the future of the Internet and the United States’ … [Read more...] about Implications of U.S. Indictment of Chinese Officers for Cyber Espionage
Next Moves in the Battle Over Domestic Drones
There have been a number of important new developments in the battle over domestic drones in the United States this week, many of which lend support to the concerns that I have raised in my last two posts. First, the FAA has confirmed this week that it is launching an official investigation into the use of a drone, in this case a small, multirotor aircraft, over the 4/20 rally … [Read more...] about Next Moves in the Battle Over Domestic Drones
Domestic “Drones” Are the Latest Object of Threat Inflation
Recently, several news outlets reported on a supposed plot by a Moroccan national to use remote controlled model airplanes as flying bombs. The story seems to lend credibility to speculation that model airplanes could be the next terrorist threat. In reality, however, these fears are part of a larger pattern of threat inflation about domestic “drones” that mirrors the kind of … [Read more...] about Domestic “Drones” Are the Latest Object of Threat Inflation
It’s Time to Halt The FAA’s Arbitrary and Expanding Domestic “Drone” Ban
This week we learned of two new FAA actions against domestic operators of what are popularly called “drones” and what the FAA calls “unmanned aircraft systems” (UAS). In one case, the FAA has claimed that it is illegal for volunteers to use radio controlled model aircraft to search for missing persons. In the other, an agency spokeswoman advised a news outlet against publishing … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Halt The FAA’s Arbitrary and Expanding Domestic “Drone” Ban