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US Senator Warns Against Political Surveillance By Drone
cold fjord writes "Politico reports, 'Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she once found a drone peeking into the window of her home — the kind of cautionary tale she wants lawmakers to consider as they look at allowing commercial drone use. ... she used the episode to implore lawmakers to "proceed with caution." Feinstein said she encountered the flying robot while a demonstration was taking place outside her house. She said she went to the window to peek out — and "there was a drone right there at the window looking out at me." ... "Obviously the pilot of the drone had some surprise because the drone wheeled around and crashed ..." she said. ... Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday that she has seen firsthand the surveillance capabilities of drones and called civilian privacy concerns "significant." She ... recommended a search warrant requirement. Feinstein said she is working on legislation with the Commerce Committee and urged senators to move swiftly to create "strong, binding enforceable privacy policies that govern drone operations before the technology is upon us."'"
She doesn't like it when it happens to her.
But Ms Feinstein, surely if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
1. Federal licensing and "oversight" for businesses = tax$
2. Exemptions for "national security" = hello FBI/TSA/NSA/DEA
3. Strong, enforceable privacy policy = Private use prohibited.
Watch for it.
Scruting the inscrutable for over 50 years.
How dare you spy on us !
How dare you try to listen in on privacies like political negotiations as we carve up all your reality and feed it back to you in exchange for votes! Do you know how hard it is to keep cover memes hiding the real reasons we do things in place?
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Okay, I can on one hand understand the lack of love for the dear Senator. With the other, let us not miss an advantage to press an issue that till now did not seem important to our Surveillance Lady in Waiting. Finally a Senator gets a first hand taste (and let's assume it really happened*) of getting spied on and she's pissed off. Now she wants warrants and oversight so let's help in that direction to the full extent of what it means to have your privacy assaulted.
I think it is sad that one of the privileged needs to be affected before they react with more then a sniff. It would be grand if our elected officials actually cared a damn for the people they represent, but I for one welcome her "outrage" and hope she uses it to tighten privacy laws and get tough on those who ignore our Constitutional rights.
* all this noise of whether it was a real drone, it was made up, or did or did not carry a camera is plain stupid. If it happened then good, she got a taste of the future and does not like it. If it was fake or trumped up so she can cited a "legitimate" reason for her outcry, who cares. The story is her enlightened position.
Life is a great ride, the vehicle doesn't matter
Orwell's pigs suddenly come to mind.
The irony here is Feinstein over dramatization
That's status quo for her, unfortunately. She's a terrible Senator, but a fairly good power monger.
Just like with guns, her goal is to take this technology away from the hoi polloi and reserve the use for her gang.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
No, she's got guns. She just doesn't want *you* to have them.
She owns one... despite the fact that she consistently legislates against the 2nd amendment, and has her own security detail.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
It's not hypocracy if her position is consistantly that the elite and rich defense contractors (doesn't her husband own much of URS) are above the law, and everyone else must bow before them.
Her legislation could say "only senators, former senators, people with over $100 million, and defense contractors can use drones to spy on others" -- and it wouldn't be hypocracy. It'd just be evil.