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Who's Flying Those Drones? FAA Won't Say

Posted by Unknown on from the speed-monitored-by-aircraft dept.

netbuzz writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation nine months ago filed a Freedom of Information Act request to prompt the FAA to release the names of government agencies and private entities that have received permission to fly unmanned aircraft over our heads. Nine months later, the FAA has neither released the information nor explained why it hasn't. On Tuesday the EFF filed suit (PDF) to force the agency to do so. Says EFF staff attorney Jennifer Lynch: 'Drones give the government and other unmanned aircraft operators a powerful new surveillance tool to gather extensive and intrusive data on Americans' movements and activities. As the government begins to make policy decisions about the use of these aircraft, the public needs to know more about how and why these drones are being used to surveil United States citizens.'"

10 of 405 comments (clear)

  1. Whos asking? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not me.. I don't want to be groped and scaned by the tsa or worse by any of those tla alphabet groups for not doing anything.

    Citizen moving along, not looking at anything at all. Don't hellfire missile me bro.

     

    1. Re:Whos asking? by OakDragon · · Score: 4, Funny

      These are not the drones you're looking for.

      --
      Dark Reflection
  2. Re:Why? OWS, for one thing... by sandytaru · · Score: 5, Funny

    And here I thought they were bringing the troops home at the demands of the American people.

    --
    Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
  3. Get rid of Bush and elect a Progressive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If we finally get rid of George Bush and elect a Progressive (someone like Obama, who has campaigned on maintaining transparency in government), I think we'll do away with this.

    But as long as we keep Bush and Republicans in office, we'll always have these types of issues.

    1. Re:Get rid of Bush and elect a Progressive by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Funny

      If we finally get rid of George Bush and elect a Progressive (someone like Obama, who has campaigned on maintaining transparency in government), I think we'll do away with this.

      But as long as we keep Bush and Republicans in office, we'll always have these types of issues.

      This must be the longest-delayed HTTP POST request I've ever seen in my life! Get a better ISP, matey.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
  4. Coincidence? by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 5, Funny

    Drones being flown all over the country, by unidentified pilots, Microsoft giving their Flight Simulator game away for free. I coincidence? I think NOT.

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  5. Acronym hell. by Feyshtey · · Score: 4, Funny

    So to be clear, the EFF filed and FIA request to the FAA about USAF activity.

    Omg, wtf?

    --
    "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it,..." - Nancy Pelosi
  6. Re:Why? OWS, for one thing... by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...the populist uprisings are going to eventually come to our shores, this is why they're bringing the troops home

    This is much funnier if you read it with the voice of Dale Gribble. :-D

  7. Re:Your name's not on the list, friend by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not to worry, you'll have a fine time proving that your name is on the list...

  8. Re:Nothing but a teabagger by lennier · · Score: 4, Funny

    >supremicists

    Stopped reading there.

    Do you have something against our supreme mice overlords?

    --
    You are not a brain: http://books.google.com/books?id=2oV61CeDx-YC