Flying to New Destinations: The Future of Drones

Abstract

The number of drones in the air is expected to increase rapidly in the coming years. This will put enormous pressure on the systems of permits and exemptions that most countries require for drone use. Large numbers of drones will also put the enforcement of such rules under pressure. Banning drones from society is not a realistic option. Thus, properly regulating the use of drones in order to avoid or minimize the risks associated with the use of drones becomes critical. Expanding the possibilities for drone use while maintaining safety requirements would meet the demands of particular drone user groups and would help to regulate technological developments. This chapter addresses how to regulate the use of drones in the future by considering conditions and contents of future drone legislation and by analysing privacy and other potential safeguards regulating drone use. Conditions for future drone legislation include creating policy visions, further integration of aviation laws, telecommunication laws, privacy laws and criminal justice laws, regulation on international levels, mandatory evaluations and (to some extent) technology-independent legislation. Future drone legislation should focus on aviation law, privacy law, liability law and criminal law. Privacy safeguards for drones should include privacy impact assessments and the use of privacy by design, most notably geofencing. Other safeguards could include mandatory education for some groups of drone users as well as raising public awareness of drones and their capabilities.