Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Austin Declared a Drone-Free Zone During SXSW

Posted by timothy on from the freak-out-at-the-freak-fest dept.

itwbennett writes Organizers of SXSW said this week that flying of drones is banned for safety reasons. 'The airwaves and/or frequency spectrums generally used in the remote control of drones are too congested during the popular event to ensure operation safe from interference,' they said in a statement. The Austin Police Department will be watching for drones in crowded or public areas and anyone flying one could have it seized, the organizers warned.

1 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. FCC and FAA by BobSutan · · Score: 1, Troll

    Under who's authority? Has anyone ran this ban past the FCC and/or FAA? You know, the controlling agencies for radio frequencies and the nation's air space?

    I question the police's unilateral authority on this to just up and arrest RC operators willy nilly without a crime having been committed. At best someone may be guilty of trespassing if they are operating one on the property, but if they're not and just fly one overhead and take pics/video, then what?

    --
    "On a scale from 1 to 10, people are stupid"