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France Cries Foul At World Cup "Spy Drone"
mpicpp (3454017) writes with news of amateur drones appearing at the World Cup, quoting Ars Technica: "France's World Cup soccer team has filed a complaint with FIFA, claiming that someone used a small unmanned aircraft to spy on the team's training camp near São Paulo, Brazil as players prepared for their match against Honduras Sunday, the BBC reports. The quadrocopter appears from video to be a Phantom II autonomous micro-drone with a video camera.
'Apparently, drones are being used more and more,' France's manager Didier Deschamps told the BBC. 'We don't want intrusion into our privacy. It's hard to fight.' Deschamps did not comment on who might be behind the surveillance but said in an interview with Football Italia that he believed the drone was operated by one of France's potential opponents or by a French news agency." Police later captured the drone operator, who claimed just to be a fan bitten by a bit too much curiosity.
'Apparently, drones are being used more and more,' France's manager Didier Deschamps told the BBC. 'We don't want intrusion into our privacy. It's hard to fight.' Deschamps did not comment on who might be behind the surveillance but said in an interview with Football Italia that he believed the drone was operated by one of France's potential opponents or by a French news agency." Police later captured the drone operator, who claimed just to be a fan bitten by a bit too much curiosity.
I don't know who told you this, but they were wrong. When you're out in public anyone may take your photo at any time and they may distribute that photo to whoever they wish, and they may even exhibit that photo. What they may not do, and why there are release forms and models, is ever use your public photo to advertise a product or advance a political agenda [unless you were actively participating in a political action of some type in the photo]. They also must be careful about the context, for if they slander you in any manner that is not true, then you have a case against them. Of course the photo has next to nothing to do with it except to identify you.
Imagine if you had a perfect family photo and some asshole insisted you delete it because he happened to walk into the frame? Fortunately, you never have to. There's a lot of misinformation out there on this subject and in the past that was largely harmless, but with personal cameras having wings now it may be time for an awareness campaign of some type.
Property rights are another matter. With respect to airspace and the U.S. cause to hell with Brazil, it's something to take up with the FAA.