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The Trump Administration Wants To Be Able To Track and Hack Your Drone (fastcompany.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: The Trump administration wants federal agencies to be able to track, hack, or even destroy drones that pose a threat to law enforcement and public safety operations, The New York Times reports. A proposed law, if passed by Congress, would let the government take down unmanned aircraft posing a danger to firefighting and search-and-rescue missions, prison operations, or "authorized protection of a person." The government will be required to respect "privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties" when exercising that power, the draft bill says. But records of anti-drone actions would be exempt from public disclosure under freedom of information laws, and people's right to sue over damaged and seized drones would be limited, according to the text of the proposal published by the Times. The administration, which would not comment on the proposal, scheduled a classified briefing on Wednesday for congressional staff members to discuss the issue.

216 comments

  1. Makes sense. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is great potential for abuse with these things, and the Trump admin is not afraid to make the hard decisions on these types of things, optics be damned.

    1. Re:Makes sense. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah soon he'll also make the tough choice of giving himself 100s of millions in tax breaks.

    2. Re:Makes sense. by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 1

      Just having tough laws on hazardous toys may prevent a lot of abuse.

    3. Re:Makes sense. by DickBreath · · Score: 2

      It does NOT fully make sense.

      On the one hand, I can understand tracking, hacking or destroying your drone for public safety. Like firefighters. Ambulances. Rescue operations, etc.

      On the other hand, it seems that it would be be STRONGLY in the interests of public safety to NOT let law enforcement interfere with the operation of drones. If they don't like the public distrust, they brought it on themselves. All of them. They either were the "bad apples", or the ones who would protect the bad apples.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    4. Re:Makes sense. by Sparowl · · Score: 1

      There is great potential for abuse with these things,

      Yes, laws like this have a great potential for abuse. That's generally why we try to keep public disclosure of these actions available, to watch for the government misusing them.

    5. Re:Makes sense. by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

      Sure, works for alcohol, tobacco and firearms, right?

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    6. Re:Makes sense. by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 1

      Alcohol, tobacco and firearms are not toys. They have a powerful force to them. Drones don't.

    7. Re: Makes sense. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A president not afraid to make the hard decisions for the greater good.

      I know people hate Trump, buy maybe he is the president needed for today.

    8. Re:Makes sense. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fly a drone into someone's face or have it drop from altitude on an unsuspecting person or child and we'll see how powerful of a force it does have. Especially some of the mid to large size ones. Having even a one pound object crash onto your head from a 10ft drop is not pleasant. 5lbs at 20ft could likely kill.

      Of course, as ColdWetDog points out, look at how well laws have worked on alcohol, tobacco and firearms. Can add drugs and other things we are suppose to have but do anyway.

    9. Re:Makes sense. by Jawnn · · Score: 1

      There is great potential for abuse with these things, and the Trump admin is not afraid to make the hard decisions on these types of things, optics be damned.

      Your damned right. The ability to take actions and against citizens and their property, and to then be able to hide those actions from public scrutinty is a hugely dangerous thing. My gawd, the potential for abuse is...
      Oh... wait.
      You actually think that such assaults on our Constitutional rights are a good idea? You are an imbecile.

  2. How is this different from Obama? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When Donald Trump hacks your drone he turns control over to his master Vladimir Putin.

    The same thing applies to your email. Have fun reading your email on Wikileads and on Breitbart!

    1. Re:How is this different from Obama? by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      How is it different? Obama would not hump or molest your drone first.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  3. Already true. by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

    Just try and fly a drone anywhere near someone with secret service protection. Watch what happens.

    Don't actually do this, you will end the day in jail.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    1. Re:Already true. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just try and fly a drone anywhere near someone with secret service protection. Watch what happens.

      Don't actually do this, you will end the day in jail.

      This is hardly true, since a guy managed to land a fucking oversized drone on the White House lawn.

    2. Re:Already true. by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Go anywhere near the president when he is outdoors, with a RF spectrum analyzer. Then just turn on a remote control radio, of any kind. 'They' will have a bunch of questions based on the assumption you were testing the defenses. Don't expect to sleep at home that night.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    3. Re:Already true. by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Nope.

    4. Re:Already true. by BoogieChile · · Score: 1

      > oversized

      > The drone, which was about two feet in diameter and weighed about two pounds

      Yeah, nah.

  4. Not good enough MSSMASH!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Nice try but you clearly failed to call Trump worse than Hitler or at least accuse Trump of colluding with Putin to grant Russia full control of all drones in the U.S.

    On top of that, you blatantly failed to go into detail about how Trump's repression of drones negatively impacts the LGBTQ+ community and this clearly shows your subservience to the white cisgendered patriarchy.

    Report to the Safe Space at Berkeley for reconditioning NOW!

    1. Re:Not good enough MSSMASH!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice try but you clearly failed to call Trump worse than Hitler

      Psst, we are now comparing him to Nixon, which is waaaaay worse, remember?

    2. Re: Not good enough MSSMASH!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yea, that terrible Nixon guy that started the EPA, opened relations with China, etc.

      I see that the war on President Trump is pivoting away from "collusion" now and is headed to "cover-up" since collusion isn't working. ....Try try again.....

    3. Re: Not good enough MSSMASH!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL it's not like he's hamhandedly covering up his treasonous collusion...

    4. Re: Not good enough MSSMASH!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, you democrats are just hamhandedly broadcasting it all over the internet, and of course with no admissible evidence. Democrats and republicans, two of a kind...

  5. Okay... by Kierthos · · Score: 3

    Look, I loathe most everything that the Trump administration has done thus far, but as written, this doesn't sound too bad.

    If some moron is hindering fire-fighting operations with a drone, then yes, there should be ways to deal with it without having to worry about the drone owner threatening a lawsuit.

    Now, I object to to the records of such anti-drone activities being exempt from freedom of information laws.

    --
    Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    1. Re:Okay... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If some moron is hindering fire-fighting operations with a drone...

      Just point a fire hose at it for a second. No quad-/hexacopter will stand up to that kind of volume and pressure. Of course, if the moron really is in there with a drone, the firefighters probably have more to worry about from the hellfire missiles.

    2. Re:Okay... by Kierthos · · Score: 1

      There are a wide range of commercial drones that shockingly are not armed with military munitions. Technically, those $10 quad-copter remote controlled toys you can buy at a mall kiosk are drones.

      --
      Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    3. Re:Okay... by slew · · Score: 1

      There are a wide range of commercial drones that shockingly are not armed with military munitions. Technically, those $10 quad-copter remote controlled toys you can buy at a mall kiosk are drones.

      I suppose the govt doesn't want to be sued every time a police dept decides to take one down because it is harassing someone and keep an FOIA subpoena-able record of this...

    4. Re:Okay... by DickBreath · · Score: 0

      A drone hindering fire fighting operations -- BAD.

      A drone recording the police -- GOOD.

      So while I support tracking, hacking and destroying drones for public safety, I think that in that same interest of public safety, law enforcement should not be allowed to interfere with drones. Firefighters and Ambulance attendants do not shoot people first and ask questions later. Or shoot people in the back. Or beat up handcuffed people.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    5. Re:Okay... by bobbied · · Score: 1

      Now, I object to to the records of such anti-drone activities being exempt from freedom of information laws.

      Why?

      Personally I'm fine with them developing capabilities to destroy drones and not telling me the technical details about how it works. I'm fine if they want to blast a drone out of the sky, just as long as they are not out using it on a whim and the destroyed drone is someplace it's not allowed, just make sure it's clear where I may and may not fly.

      If my device strays from the airspace it's permitted to be in, it's my fault it gets destroyed, assuming I had ample opportunity to know I wasn't allowed to fly there. I don't see a problem with the actual technology used to destroy a drone is not made public.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    6. Re:Okay... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A drone recording the police -- GOOD.

      There are some exceptions to that. Summary mentioned "authorized protection of a person." Seems like in such cases you do NOT want real-time surveillance of the protective caravan.

    7. Re:Okay... by PPH · · Score: 1

      Or the gov't doesn't want to have to explain why certain areas are no-fly zones. It is conceivable that some evil-doers could probe certain areas to see what the reaction would be.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    8. Re:Okay... by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

      It's not quite that easy.

      Here in California, we're getting the idiots with the drones that are flying above the wildfires (because, let's face it, they are pretty impressive). The problem is that those drones are sitting right where the airplanes that are dropping water on the fire want to go.

      So they're a bit high up for water hoses.

    9. Re:Okay... by BankRobberMBA · · Score: 1

      Because the FOIA request is how people (us) prove that the government (the cops) didn't stay inside the rules. This is what gives them an incentive to only use their powers as they were intended.

      Your "... just as long as they are not out using it on a whim and the destroyed drone is someplace it's not allowed..." requirement is basically sound, I guess. I would press for a little more freedom from oversight, myself, but, whatever. The problem is that you can't just trust them to follow the rules you and they agreed upon. One of the best methods we have developed to assure compliance is the FOIA, where the citizens get to make the government rat themselves out with their own records. It works surprisingly well.

      As far as effectiveness, I think it might work on the stupid bad guys. Truly smart/intelligent bad actors will just disable the systems or build drones from scratch without them. So, maybe this works for jackasses unintentionally impeding emergency workers, but in exchange for that we lose a lot of the potential for drones to help fight abuses of power.

      I think it's a balancing act, and I don't think we know enough yet to make wise laws.

    10. Re:Okay... by currently_awake · · Score: 1

      I can see military bases or the Whitehouse, but pipeline protests (where police shoot down drones) seems to not be about public safety. Evil thrives in the dark, if the Government wants secrecy they need to justify it.

    11. Re:Okay... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As someone who hates the police since they were a kid, I gotta disagree with you. Depending on what they are doing a cop being freely monitored by a drone can be detrimental to what they are doing. Such as if they surrounded a drug house. The perps could use a drone to find out where the cops are and set up counter-meausres against them. So under certain operations it would be ill advised to allow a drone to monitor their activity any time else however, hell yeah video tape the crap out of em.

    12. Re:Okay... by PPH · · Score: 1

      but pipeline protests

      So people fly over a pipeline protest, get their drones shot down, file a FOIA request and get records. Then they fly over that mystery no-fly location and get nothing. And no justification. Pretty soon a determined foe can find out exactly where all the sensitive areas are.

      It's not like the pipeline protesters, May Day marchers, etc. aren't riddled with people with unrelated agendas.

      Evil thrives in the dark

      Next May 1, march without wearing masks.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    13. Re:Okay... by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      Oh yeah, because super hackable drones that can be taken over by anyone at any time are a great idea. I mean no criminal hacker would hack that drone first, in mid air, secure it from hacking and then fly it at the head of the target, leaving the owner of the drone to blame and the incompetent police left looking like idiots. Why, oh, why, does it need to be explained to computer illiterate types why computers should not be super hackable, why back doors are a disaster waiting to happen (take note of two recent major attacks that can all be tied to the wilful criminal negligence and incompetence of the NSA and CIA).

      The delusion of power the ignorant think they will have controlling everyone's computer will soon evaporate when someone else hacks control and turns those device on the authorities. The craziness of it all, it will happen, it is guaranteed to happen, uses devices for authoritarian control and those devices will be turned against their masters, a guaranteed probability over time outcome.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    14. Re:Okay... by DRJlaw · · Score: 1

      there should be ways to deal with it without having to worry about the drone owner threatening a lawsuit.

      Exactly. Those Constitutional amendments saying things like "[no person shall be] deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law" were drafted with the express idea of permitting the governent to destory property without even having to prove that the action was reasonable...

      After all, due process is such a pain. Summary non-process is cheap, easy, and never arbitrary.

  6. Amount of people this affects: few by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe next time you'll think twice before flying your drone into a stadium or airport.

    1. Re:Amount of people this affects: few by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      never back down on a dare!

  7. fTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A proposed law, if passed by Congress, would let the government take down unmanned aircraft posing a danger to firefighting and search-and-rescue missions, prison operations, or "authorized protection of a person." The government will be required to respect "privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties" when exercising that power, the draft bill says.

    1. Re: fTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BeauHD is that you?

  8. Obama's drone tracking... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    was done to protect the public so thinking people supported it. This tracking is motivated by hate so it is wrong even though this is t a policy change.

    1. Re:Obama's drone tracking... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This doing the same thing as someone else doesn't make it right because motivations are different. Just as when Obama dropped 20k munitions in the Middle East last year, he did so for the right reasons. When Trump fired 59 cruise missiles at Syria, he should have been impeached because he did it for racist reasons. It's all about motivations. That's why we have mans laughter chargers versus murder, but Trumpsters are too stupid to grok that.

    2. Re:Obama's drone tracking... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn you, Poe.

    3. Re: Obama's drone tracking... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This. It's all about intent so everything Trump does is wrong.

    4. Re: Obama's drone tracking... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ha, "Obama" and "thinking people" in the same post. Good one.

    5. Re: Obama's drone tracking... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don't you check how the Obama administration redefined "enemy combatant" to essentially include all males in the vicinity of a drone target. This was done because the reported number of innocent civilians killed was too high. Just redefine the problem and it goes away. Never mind that he caused an American citizen to be killed without a trial.

  9. Which is all fine (mostly) by Known+Nutter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Take down drones that endanger firefighting and prison operations, sure. The problems start when undefined weasel-words like "authorized protection of a person" are used and rights of citizens are curtailed or eliminated. Clandestine hearings and elimination of FOIA for the program do not help matters. You just don't need all that secrecy to take down a drone over a fire or prison.

    --
    Beware of the Leopard.
    1. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Train0987 · · Score: 1

      What right does a citizen have to fly a drone? I don't see that in the constitution.

    2. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Jesus christ, don't start with that bullshit. What right do you have to clean water? I don't see that in the constitution.

    3. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Known+Nutter · · Score: 1

      What right does a citizen have to fly a drone? I don't see that in the constitution.

      I'm not discussing rights to fly a drone... From TFS:

      ...people's right to sue over damaged and seized drones would be limited, according to the text of the proposal published by the Times

      --
      Beware of the Leopard.
    4. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

    5. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      What right does a citizen have to fly a drone? I don't see that in the constitution.

      Drones are useful to militias, so they are protected under the 2nd Amendment.

      A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and fly drones, shall not be infringed.

    6. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Kierthos · · Score: 2

      "Anything not proscribed is permitted."

      Basically, we have the right to do anything without fear of legal repercussions, where there is no law prohibiting it.

      Want to have 100 pink plastic flamingos in your front yard? There's no law against it. (HOA regulations, maybe.)

      Want to cover your car (sans windshield) in Christmas lights? There's no law against it.

      Want to fly a remote-controlled drone? There's no law against it. Except where prohibited by law.

      That's the point here. This law would say "You can't fly drones where it would interfere with these activities." But you currently have the right to fly a drone anywhere that it isn't currently prohibited (say, over military bases), because that's how this works.

      --
      Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    7. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Pink flamingos in your front lawn is fine, what happens when you put them in someone else's lawn or some public place?

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    8. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by swb · · Score: 1

      The problems start when undefined weasel-words

      This is really all you had to say.

      Like Stingray cell phone surveillance, the police (from FBI to local constabulary) wants the right to down and seize any drone, at any time, for reasons that will be kept from the public.

    9. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Kierthos · · Score: 1

      I believe that's covered under littering laws. Or possibly vandalism.

      There have already been a couple court cases, I believe, on how far up into the air property rights extend, regarding drone operation. And, again, I believe civilian drone use is already prohibited in the airspace of military bases. (Whether that covers military personnel in on-base housing, playing with drones, I couldn't tell you.)

      --
      Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    10. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fucking Eurofags, the U.S. Constitution doesn't lay out our rights but the rights of the federal government. See the 10th Amendment...

    11. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Ichijo · · Score: 1

      It's not that a citizen has an explicit right to fly a drone. The 4th amendment protects the citizen against the drone (or any other belongings) being taken from him/her without a really good reason.

      --
      Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
    12. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Calydor · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Does the constitution specifically grant you a right to breathe air?

      --
      -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
    13. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Authorized protection of persons" is not 'undefined weasel-words'. It means the Secret Service, when acting in its role as authorized (by USC 18 3056) protector of certain persons (defined by the law).

    14. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Pascoea · · Score: 1

      Drones are useful to militias, so they are protected under the 2nd Amendment.

      Holy shit! That's some good stuff there, actually made me lol.

    15. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by bobbied · · Score: 2

      Jesus christ, don't start with that bullshit. What right do you have to clean water? I don't see that in the constitution.

      You don't have a right to clean water then....

      Actually, in all seriousness, the US constitution only defines the rights the government may not infringe and/or must protect. Other rights exist but they are NOT within the preview of the government to insure or protect. For instance, the individual's right to "pursue happiness" is a given, but the government is NOT responsible to ensure your happiness should you be unhappy with your life..

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    16. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's covered by the 4th and 9th Amendments for unarmed drones, the 2nd for armed ones.

    17. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Pascoea · · Score: 1

      Want to cover your car (sans windshield) in Christmas lights? There's no law against it.

      [Pedant-ism warning] Most places have strict regulations on the color, placement, and quantity of lights on a vehicle. Generally though, I support your point.

    18. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by GLMDesigns · · Score: 2

      The Constitution enumerates the powers delegated to the Federal Government. If not enumerated the US Government does not have the authority (according to the US Constitution) to act. The Government can, under due process, deny you access to air but it does not grant you the right. The right is yours as a human being (or from God if you're so inclined).

      --
      If you're scared of your govt then you need to further restrict its powers
      Vote 3rd Party in 2016 and beyond
    19. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by nine-times · · Score: 1

      The Constitution itself doesn't say anything about the rights of citizens. The Bill of Rights (which are amendments, not in the Constitution proper) spells out a few rights that the founders thought should be particularly safeguarded, but was never meant to be an exhaustive list of human rights that citizens hold.

      The real question should be, "What right does the government have to shoot down a citizen's drone?" It doesn't say anything about shooting down drones in the Constitution. Of course, it doesn't say anything about drones in the Constitution because drones weren't a thing in 1787. The Constitution doesn't say anything about a lot of things, e.g. the FBI, CIA, NSA, Air Force, Marines, nuclear weapons, spy satellites.

    20. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      ...right of the people...

      Halfwit.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    21. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

      Want to cover your car (sans windshield) in Christmas lights? There's no law against it.

      Actually, lights on cars are highly regulated, because they can't obscure or be confused with turn signals or brake lights.

    22. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He only talked about covering your car with lights...not driving with those lights turned on.

    23. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by nine-times · · Score: 1

      Take down drones that endanger firefighting and prison operations, sure. The problems start when undefined weasel-words like "authorized protection of a person" are used and rights of citizens are curtailed or eliminated.

      Yeah, and part of the reason this should be a concern is, I think firefighters and prisons already have some latitude to take action when lives are at risk or there's a serious security problem. If a firefighter breaks a window to rescue someone, I don't think they get charged with destruction of private property. If prison guards damage a helicopter that someone tries to land in a prison yard without approval, I doubt they'd be in legal trouble. Admittedly I'm not a lawyer, but I doubt that they've bothered to write laws for every possible piece of equipment that may be damaged or seized, in every permutation of all possible scenarios.

      So I think the question is, what exactly does this law accomplish? Does it just make the legal powers of the government vague enough that they can hack any drone they like?

    24. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by sexconker · · Score: 0

      Jesus christ, don't start with that bullshit. What right do you have to clean water? I don't see that in the constitution.

      You don't have a right to clean water then....

      Actually, in all seriousness, the US constitution only defines the rights the government may not infringe and/or must protect. Other rights exist but they are NOT within the preview of the government to insure or protect. For instance, the individual's right to "pursue happiness" is a given, but the government is NOT responsible to ensure your happiness should you be unhappy with your life..

      The Constitution and its amendments define the scope and powers of the federal government
      EVERYTHING ELSE is reserved to the states or people.

      We got the Bill of Rights because morons thought they could weasel their way into getting the feds way more fucking power than they're supposed to have.

      We need a new amendment that says "The fucking text says what it says and means what it says and must be enforced as written." because of insipid clowns like yourself.

    25. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Yep, trucknutz that light up (usually with the turn signals) are illegal most places.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    26. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by sconeu · · Score: 1

      Thus the Ninth Amendment:

      The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    27. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What right does a citizen have to fly a drone? I don't see that in the constitution.

      You obviously have never read the Bill of Rights. The 10th amendment states "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people..

    28. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      I think you'll find it listed under the 9th amendment.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    29. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The real question should be, "What right does the government have to shoot down a citizen's drone?"

      "Right"? They don't need no steenking "right"!

      They have guns, tanks, attack helicopters, prisons, and can turn off all the communications, water, power, and food supplies. Try to stop them. Make sure your life insurance is paid up first.

      Might makes right in America 2.0, serf.

    30. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is a red-herring. Federal officers currently are forbidden from taking out drones? Not likely.

    31. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Pascoea · · Score: 1

      Well. You got me there.

    32. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Modern infantry rifles would be useful to militias, and they're not held to be protected under the Second.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    33. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Authorized protection of a person" = Secret Service or US Marshals (witsec) action.
      Not weasel words. They are protecting someone. That is more important than you flying a toy plane/helicopter.

      FOIA request exemption is going too far. We have the right (according to the Freedom Of Information Act) to ask what happened. There are exemptions for national security, ongoing investigations, and to protect someone's privacy. They should have to answer "why did you shoot down my drone?" questions.

    34. Re:Which is all fine (mostly) by idji · · Score: 1

      I don't see what is stopping me buying any drone I like and replacing the CPU with a raspberry pi.

  10. May be needed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But I still prefer something that just shoots down the drones. Maybe some kind of specialized flak gun battery.

  11. Re:Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > But records of anti-drone actions would be exempt from public disclosure under freedom of information laws, and people's right to sue over damaged and seized drones would be limited,

    Basicly they'd destroy your shit at their convenience with no recourse. Well fuck Trump, and Fuck you

    Oh wait, did I hurt someone's feefees?

  12. "Privacy, civil rights and civil liberties" by L.+J.+Beauregard · · Score: 1

    We know full well how much the PGOTUS respects these things.

    --
    Ooh, moderator points! Five more idjits go to Minus One Hell!
    Delendae sunt RIAA, MPAA et Windoze
    1. Re:"Privacy, civil rights and civil liberties" by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >We know full well how much the PGOTUS respects these things.

      Yep, just about as much as the previous president and the several ones before him.

  13. The trump administration by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The trump administration is looking to hack drones, etc.... a new bill passed by congress proposes.... really ??? Congress and the executive branch are two separate entities; I would have hoped the intellectuals at slashdot would have at least two brain cells to determine the difference

  14. Disabling drones by mi · · Score: 1

    Maybe some kind of specialized flak gun battery.

    That cure is worse than the disease! Flak falls down to the ground — on our heads. Better to shoot it with a regular bullet — at least, you only need one or two. But most of these drones are slow-flying "copters" — you can disable them with an entangling net...

    And you don't need your means to be too powerful — to endanger a fire-fighter, for example, the drone has to fly right next to him anyway. If it is too far to be hit with a thrown stick (or a net), they should not be hitting it with anything.

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    1. Re: Disabling drones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The drones aren't a problem for firefighters on the ground, they are a problem for firefighting aircraft.

    2. Re:Disabling drones by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      I'd sooner that there be something like a secondary receiver built into all drones, that when it receives the appropriate signal, causes the drone to descend and land safely, or perhaps return to it's point of origin. In law enforcement, firefighting, or other emergency situations, the signal could be broadcast in the affected area, thus acting as a 'drone repellant'. Once it's landed, the drone would remain in a 'disabled' state, unable to launch, until such time as the disable signal ceases to be broadcast. Disabling the 'repellent' receiver is made punishable by large fine and perhaps jail time, if you've done that and it's flown into an area that's experiencing an emergency situation.

    3. Re:Disabling drones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because such an open standard wouldn't quickly become an easy way to DOS people trying to enjoy drones recreationally, and the hundreds of thousands of homebuilt drones would all include such tech. Sure.

    4. Re:Disabling drones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Listen, dronefag: Your 'enjoyment' is not even SECONDARY to public safety, it's at the BOTTOM OF THE LIST OF PRIORITIES, and will always REMAIN at the bottom of the list. That's why you mouth-breathing dronefaggots are HATED by so many people: You're selfish little JERKS who don't give a fuck about anyone but yourselves and think you can do whatever you please. Then you cry and whine when someone smashes your goddamned drone because you were flying it somewhere it didn't belong and were skeezing on someones' KIDS. Kill yourselves.

    5. Re:Disabling drones by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Would you rather be rained on by birdshot or bullets?

      That isn't a trick question. Competent hunters, shooting into the air don't fire bullets or buckshot.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    6. Re:Disabling drones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know what constitutes "flak for drones"? It's called "birdshot". Having that stuff rain down on your head is about as dangerous as having a handful of sand raining down -- unpleasant if it gets in your eyes, but otherwise not a problem.

    7. Re:Disabling drones by dbIII · · Score: 1

      This way works:
      https://youtu.be/Hr-xBtVU4lg
      And if they get very close to ground level there is the ultimate drone killing machine:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDBigSjLrFg

      Yes, the first is only marginally practical since having falconers and birds of prey on staff is not going to scale, so a speargun/netgun approach as suggested makes more sense.

    8. Re:Disabling drones by BankRobberMBA · · Score: 1

      I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, but it seems to me you are thinking of the situation that the proposed law is suggesting.

      I think we have to try to think of the situations they are not talking about, too. Like, if a police department decides to disperse a number of peaceful demonstrators. The scene commander turns on the 'repellent' right before the tear gas shells come out. Now there's no aerial footage of what actually happened. Even if they don't turn it on, some drone operators will not have their drones overhead because of a fear of losing the drone (a so-called "chilling effect").

      I just think this is a deeper question than the proposed law implies.

  15. Sure, Net gun should do the trick by foxalopex · · Score: 1

    I don't think leaving a hack-able vulnerability is a good idea but sure why not use something like a T-shirt Canon that shoots a Net? It wouldn't be that difficult to shoot down a consumer drone and fairly safe to do so. Instead of crippling everyone with restrictions, just shoot down or catch the folks who blatantly break the rules. You don't even really need to fine because drones are pretty expensive. The loss alone should teach someone a lesson.

    1. Re:Sure, Net gun should do the trick by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      The problem is what happens when you disable a drone - gravity tends to have a say in that.

      I agree that leaving a back door in place and hoping the bad guys don't copy the key is worse, but there IS a reason that net or HERF guns aren't immediately selected as the best option.

      There are companies working on anti-drone drones to do a 'capture and safely ground', and I believe at least one person was working on using trained birds (which do fine for the vast majority of consumer-grade drones).

      Which brings up another issue... with the kind of payload most consumer drones are capable of lifting, they're just not a threat worth getting worked up about. There's plenty more damage you could do on the ground, a lot easily, if you were of a mind to do so.

    2. Re:Sure, Net gun should do the trick by srmalloy · · Score: 1

      Which brings up another issue... with the kind of payload most consumer drones are capable of lifting, they're just not a threat worth getting worked up about. There's plenty more damage you could do on the ground, a lot easily, if you were of a mind to do so.

      How heavy is a timer- or remotely-opened container with enough anthrax spores to infect a few city blocks?

    3. Re:Sure, Net gun should do the trick by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Weaponizing anthrax isn't easy or cheap.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    4. Re:Sure, Net gun should do the trick by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      In fact I'd kind of encourage terrorists to try, since they're far more likely to kill themselves than anyone else. Horribly, too.

    5. Re:Sure, Net gun should do the trick by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      I bet the 'Anarchist's Cookbook' has killed at least 100 wanna be ricin makers. That was well done.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    6. Re:Sure, Net gun should do the trick by foxalopex · · Score: 1

      Most consumer drones aren't too heavy and mostly plastic the latest DJI drone (Mavic Pro) is about 2.2lb or 1KG. It'll hurt but not likely to kill you. Also if it's close enough to shoot down, it's probably too close to venue or whatever the Drone is zipping around. Another option would be a directed microwave beam which would knock it out of the sky since it's not likely very well shielded. Adding a backdoor or hacking isn't likely the easiest way of doing it and besides, it wouldn't even affect home built DIY drones which use custom hardware.

      As far as terrorism, there's not really much you can do about that. Cars can be used as bombs too or the cheapo pressure cooker. You can probably build one from hobby parts to carry 5-10lbs easily but don't forget, a drone is simply a delivery method. Most folks go for the cheap and easy and a drone is nothing like that. Besides anything carrying significant weight is going to be loud and attract a lot of attention and have a lot of traceable parts.

  16. Out-of-band attack on encryption? by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    My first impression of this is that it's an out-of-band attack on the overall integrity of encryption technologies. So far as I know, drone control signals are encrypted; what they want, then, is a backdoor into the encryption used. If successful, that would create a precedent for creating 'backdoors' in any encryption method ("..well, drone manufacturers were willing and able to comply with this law, so you have to, too, Apple/Google/$WHOEVER"). As much as I hate drones as a general concept, this cannot be allowed. Aside from the legal precedent it might create, it would also create a vector for attack by anyone wishing to seize control of any drone for whatever purpose they might have in mind; this, too, cannot be allowed to happen. Seriously, drones are bad enough as-is, without there being a ready-made ability for someone to hijack them, too.

    1. Re:Out-of-band attack on encryption? by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      So far as I know, drone control signals are encrypted;

      So then, you don't know.

    2. Re:Out-of-band attack on encryption? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most drone control signals are not encrypted. I don't know anything about mil grade stuff (that would be encrypted, at least I hope so), but almost all hobby/commercial/government(police, counter-terror, ...) drones use cleartext control and video links.

    3. Re:Out-of-band attack on encryption? by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      I don't know anything about mil grade stuff (that would be encrypted, at least I hope so),

      There was a story a year or so ago about drone targets detecting drone attacks by tuning in on the drone video, so what used to be in the clear is now, indeed, encrypted. But not civilian.

  17. Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by XXongo · · Score: 5, Informative
    I don't mind the idea of public authorities being able to take down drones that are behaving dangerously or interfering with firefighting or rescue missions. The part about "records of anti-drone actions would be exempt from public disclosure under freedom of information laws, and people's right to sue over damaged and seized drones would be limited," on the other hand, bothers me a bit.

    I like to know that the government is doing, and if they're saying that they're protecting public safety, they shouldn't mind telling us what they did and why.

    1. Re: Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      So mount a gun to your done and call it a fire arm. Then the NRA and Republicans will care about your right to have as many as you want.

    2. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by AnalogDiehard · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Terrorists have already used drones as IEDs in the middle east war arena to attack troops and bases. It is well known that they exploit public disclosure to improve their destructive techniques. The US military knows too well that you don't disclose tactics to the enemy. I'm no fan of gun control but drones bent on terrorist objectives are so covert that they should have a "kill" switch, so I find it hard to dispute the government's position of classifying records.

      --
      Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10
    3. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Pascoea · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yup, if records are open to inspection then I'd normally 100% agree, but this article is pretty scant on details. I didn't buy my UAV from a vendor, I put it together with COTS parts. Will this require me to purchase, install, and support a "Government Interface" that will allow them to track and take over my UAV at their will? Or does it just authorize them to use one of their fancy "drone cannons" (as pictured in the article) to overwhelm my device causing it to crash? One of those things I am perfectly OK with, the other I would need a bit more detail on. Either way, they shouldn't be able to do it in secret.

    4. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's something in between "disclose tactics" and "exempt from public disclosure". National security should not be threatened by disclosing that drone takedown took place, without any more detail than low resolution time and location.

      By low resolution, I mean what news coverage of police reports do -- such and such road near such-and-such major intersection, shortly after dawn. Actually you could probably be quite specific about time and location without giving the malicious operator any information they didn't already have about when and where the feed went offline.

      Keeping secret on how they tracked it, what electronic or explosive measure grounded it, and whether they recovered any intact pieces pointing to the operator seems more reasonable than disclosing nothing at all.

    5. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Terrorists have already used drones as IEDs in the middle east war arena to attack troops and bases. ... drones bent on terrorist objectives

      How do you get terrorists to use use the drones w/ a kill switch? They don't have to buy US-blessed drones, you know.

    6. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We KNOW they've been used to attack troops and bases. Terrorists have been doing that ever since back when they started flying the MQ-1 against Pakistani civilians (using a definition of "militant" that counts ALL military-age males in any strike zone as combatants, as well as anyone killed).

    7. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I dunno, I have mixed feelings... On one hand. specifically, if you're flying a drone over a prison, interfering with SaR/Firefighting Ops, I got no problem with downing/siezing them... I would l like to know the methods that they want to use. Will they shoot them down? Will they demand a universal "Kill/Sieze Switch"? As far as the Public Disclosure and Suing issues go, I'm open for discussion....

    8. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "ALL military-age males in any strike zone as combatants"

      and the rest are collateral damage, and when we do it it's to make the world a better place, and when they do it it's Satan's work -- yeah, riight

    9. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by rahvin112 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The first rule of Democracy is that you never trust the government when they say "Trust us".

      I don't trust the government to use a power to seize and destroy private property without full disclosure of how, why and when it's occurring. I'm not going to sell my rights down the river because some jackass halfway around the world strapped a bomb to a UAV.

    10. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Terrorists have already used drones as IEDs in the middle east war arena to attack troops and bases.

      Hey, when you dress and act provocatively, you should expect to get hit on, or at least some wolf whistles...

      All the countries being attacked are overly aggressive and/or extremely corrupt. So all their problems are self inflicted.

      We are going down the dark path of authoritarianism, as you can see by the number of people who think this is a good thing. This can only mean more war. Resistance will always be there.

    11. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Terrorists have already used drones as IEDs in the middle east war arena to attack troops and bases.

      True, but there are BIG differences between a drone IED, a drone menacing a firefighting operation, and a drone shot down because the cops think it might have been photographing them murdering some minority homeless guy. The courts, not law enforcement, should determine what is exempt from public disclosure on a case-by-case basis.

    12. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by dbIII · · Score: 1

      I like to know that the government is doing, and if they're saying that they're protecting public safety, they shouldn't mind telling us what they did and why.

      We are in a brave new world where things happen like a reporter being pinned to the wall by two security guards at an FCC press conference of all things so that appears to be seen as far too much to ask for.
      And no, I'm not blaming Trump. It's these agencies taking advantage when government is rudderless that are to blame.

    13. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by currently_awake · · Score: 1

      It makes sense to protect yourself from the major threats. Given that the American Government harms more Americans per day than the Terrorists do in a full year it makes sense to prioritize them first.

    14. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The part you find objectionable is likely not going to make it. It's there so that they can sacrifice something in the bill to show that they're working together in order to get it passed with all of the other things that they do want.

      This is a common tactic used with legislation: include bits that you don't care about but can be sacrificed to keep the contraversial bits that you do want.

    15. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by BlueStrat · · Score: 1

      The part you find objectionable is likely not going to make it. It's there so that they can sacrifice something in the bill to show that they're working together in order to get it passed with all of the other things that they do want.

      This is a common tactic used with legislation: include bits that you don't care about but can be sacrificed to keep the contraversial bits that you do want.

      Yes, exactly.

      They'll just need to swap out one term that mistakenly appears multiple times in the bill for the correct term.

      Substitute "person" or "people" for the terms "drone" or "drones", respectively.

      The new cranial kill-switch implant will be administered the next time you see your doctor or are treated at a hospital, if you do not yet have an active kill-switch implant. Note: An implant is mandatory to be able to drive, work, purchase or sell anything, open a bank account, connect to the internet or cellphone networks, and to use public transportation.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    16. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is a problem with reliance on kill switch. One becomes over-confident, and with absence of weapons to physically take down a drone, one with its kill switch disabled becomes real threat.

      I could also imagine a stealthier drone with better E-M shielding homing on kill signal emitter...

    17. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by melting_clock · · Score: 1

      Terrorists have used cars and truck to carry bombs, or just run over people. Cars and trucks have been used by terrorists many times in their attacks. If it is logical for drones to have a kill switch, why shouldn't cars and trucks?

      Drones are used by a minority, made up of hobbyists and professionals, which makes it an easier group to target, even though any sane person could see that drones account for a minuscule proportion of terrorist attacks. Pressure cookers have been used in attacks more often than drones...

    18. Re: Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agreed. That is the part I have a problem with.

    19. Re: Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Meh. Drones are not really as threatening as what they already have.

      Cars and trucks. Which have a much larger payload and higher casualty count. But I don't really see anyone arguing for all vehicles to be tracked. Lol. The more I hear about new legislation the more it sounds like propaganda against the Soviet Union in the 80s and 70s... Except we are the Soviets in this case.

      Then again I would like to see some sort of transponder on private drones for safety/legal reasons.

      Even then this won't really do anything if someone wants a drone that can't be tracked they will make it happen.

      Just because there is a law won't compel those who would do horrible things to register.

      It is sounding more and more like an firearm argument at this point. Which is weird but seems compatible to me.

      What I think separates this from firearms though is that it is easier to modify than it is to make a reliable barrel for a gun.

    20. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Pascoea · · Score: 1
      I understand "Terrorism" is the "Boogeyman off the Day" the the gov't is using to justify everything from fences, to military spending increases, to laws involving hobby UAVs, but I don't buy it. Follow the money. I'd bet you $20 if you dig deep enough you will find someone involved in legislation like this that just happens to be invested in drone control technology.

      Terrorists have already used drones as IEDs in the middle east war arena

      Well hell, you better get those terrorist to install kill switches (pardon the pun) on their drones so we can stop them! It sounds pretty stupid when you say it like that, doesn't it?

    21. Re: Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by techcodie · · Score: 1

      Cars and trucks...hmmmmm. I have a friend who watches the show COPS all the time. Just last weeks I saw a high speed chase involving a Cadillac Escalade. the pursuing officer was able to connect and get On-Star to shut the vehicle off in less than a mile.

      It looked funny as hell to see the vehicle just come to a stop, completely disabled.

      --
      last minute desperate solutions to impossible problems created by other fucking people.
    22. Re:Makes sense... if it weren't secret. by Lost+Race · · Score: 1

      Terrorists have already used drones as IEDs in the middle east war arena to attack troops and bases. It is well known that they exploit public disclosure to improve their destructive techniques. The US military knows too well that you don't disclose tactics to the enemy.

      These observations are only relevant in the context of TFA if one considers America to be hostile territory occupied by the U.S. military.

  18. Trump wants to eat your first born child by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, Trump wants to hack your drone. He wants to eat your first born child. He wants to set fire to the National Forests to creat more carbon emissons. He is gong to turn Negroes into soylent green. He has already thrown one black family out of public housing--the 0bama family.

  19. Casey Neistat under investigation by FAA... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 0

    If you haven't seen Casey Neistat's latest video today, he's under investigation by the FAA and can't fly his drones in NYC.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nujgBunvgBI

    1. Re:Casey Neistat under investigation by FAA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good.

      The guy is a shining example of a rich fuck making a nuisance of himself, and why drones need to be cracked down on.

  20. Us vs. Them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So, are all drones required to be hackable, leaving an inbuilt vulnerability for North Koreans to exploit, or are there going to be special, law-enforcement only drones that consumers wouldn't be able access, despite second amendment rights?
    I hope that these guys enjoy their own nudity.

  21. Re:Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Firstly, this is not enforceable, unless you use a weapon of some sorts. Any kind of self destruct thingy can be disabled easily.
    Secondly, why the hell would it not be public info, when one is destroyed? Why? There is absolutely no reason. So once again this is just a form of oppression.

  22. Re:Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I agree; we should add to the proposed law that all drones downed under this ordinance must fall on Donald Trump.

  23. Funny Thing About Constitutional Rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't see anything in the constitution that gives you the right to breathe American air.

    Why don't you make sure that what you just inhaled is your last breath. Or would you like to concede that I have just as much right to fly my drone.

    P.S. Before your next comment, why is it that you don't have any issue at all about the 2,000 pound Cessnas or the 6,000 pound ambulance helicopters that fly directly over your house?

    1. Re:Funny Thing About Constitutional Rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      why is it that you don't have any issue at all about the 2,000 pound Cessnas or the 6,000 pound ambulance helicopters that fly directly over your house?

      Not the original poster, but maybe it's because those are FUCKING REGULATED. You need a license to fly those damn things because you know, they can be pretty damn dangerous.
      Your drone should be regulated as well.

    2. Re:Funny Thing About Constitutional Rights by the_bard17 · · Score: 1

      I find it particularly ironic that a great deal of folk are throwing fits about drones needing to be regulated... and yet ultralights don't seem to be an issue.

    3. Re:Funny Thing About Constitutional Rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well the pilot of an ultralight very much has a vested interest in operating the plane correctly seeing that he is IN it. Ultralight pilot does something stupid and he's dead. The sort of moron that would fly a drone over an active forest fire isn't the same sort of person to operate an ultralight. I'm pretty sure an ultralight pilot wouldn't go flying into a firestorm.

    4. Re:Funny Thing About Constitutional Rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OK, I promise that if my 13 year old neighbor starts hovering his ultralight outside my bedroom window, I'll be sure to throw a fit.

  24. Re:Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Same AC here. Just to clarify something, i do think any aircraft posing a danger should be able to be taken down (which they already can do), but otherwise this whole law is complete bullshit.

  25. I've got a better idea for them: by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    There be something like a secondary receiver built into all drones, that when it receives the appropriate signal, causes the drone to descend and land safely, or perhaps return to it's point of origin. In law enforcement, firefighting, or other emergency situations, the signal could be broadcast in the affected area, thus acting as a 'drone repellant'. Once it's landed, the drone would remain in a 'disabled' state, unable to launch, until such time as the disable signal ceases to be broadcast. Disabling the 'repellent' receiver is made punishable by large fine and perhaps jail time, if you've done that and it's flown into an area that's experiencing an emergency situation. If criminals or terrorist operatives are using a drone to deliver explosives or some other destructive force, it would have the bonus effect of potentially blowing them up instead. Now, someone is going to point out that the drones' hardware could be hacked to disable this 'disable' function, but I see no reason why it couldn't be so thoroughly integrated into the drones' control hardware/firmware/software that there would be no way to prevent it from performing it's intended function.

    1. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They could easily outsource this to Intel. They are experts at adding firmware that can't be disabled.

    2. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If criminals or terrorist operatives are using a drone to deliver explosives or some other destructive force, it would have the bonus effect of potentially blowing them up instead. Now, someone is going to point out that the drones' hardware could be hacked to disable this 'disable' function, but I see no reason why it couldn't be so thoroughly integrated into the drones' control hardware/firmware/software that there would be no way to prevent it from performing it's intended function.

      What's to stop the criminal from reversing the intended use? Instead of "drone repellent" they modify the drone to home in upon the signal by flying in the direction that increases signal strength. Once signal strength is maximized, engage the (explosive / chemical / biological / etc.) payload at what is probably the command center of the emergency.

    3. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Your technological ignorance is showing. In order to 'home in' on a radio signal you need to triangulate on it, you can't do that from a single position.

    4. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now, someone is going to point out that the drones' hardware could be hacked to disable this 'disable' function, but I see no reason why it couldn't be so thoroughly integrated into the drones' control hardware/firmware/software that there would be no way to prevent it from performing it's intended function.

      No, someone is going to point out that quadcopter control is not prohibitively complex, so rogue operators will simply program their own control electronics that never had a kill switch in the first place. They don't have to disable your kill switch.

    5. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Oh okay we'll just do NOTHING and let your 'rogue drone operators' do whatever they want. Then when it gets so out of hand that everyone is complaining to their Congresspeople, they'll BAN drones outright in the United States, and you and drop your expensive toy into the e-waste bin. That sound like a better idea?

    6. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      Your technological ignorance is showing. In order to 'home in' on a radio signal you need to triangulate on it, you can't do that from a single position.

      Your technological ignorance is showing. In order to home in on a radio signal you need to know what direction it is coming from. You go that direction, and when the signal is now coming from behind you, you just passed over it.

      Triangulation is just one way of doing it. When you have a vehicle that can move directly towards the signal, you don't need to triangulate.

    7. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Not 'everyone' is a whiny bitch, so that won't happen.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    8. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Please don't be pedantic.

      All it takes is one Congresscritter deciding that he's alarmed by what he's hearing, and *BAM*, you've got a bill being discussed in Congress.

    9. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by guruevi · · Score: 1

      "Triangulation" or direction finding can be done from a 'single' position (eg. using a Yagi is a very crude method, there are better ways these days). You're thinking of locating a single device based on the signal received by an omnidirectional receiver (eg. cell phone towers), that does indeed require multiple antenna's (although they don't have to be far apart)

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    10. Re:I've got a better idea for them: by andydread · · Score: 1

      There be something like a secondary receiver built into all drones, that when it receives the appropriate signal, causes the drone to descend and land safely

      Your ignorance of the preponderance of UAV aircraft is showing. That requires a flight computer with navigation capabilities, GPS, magnetometer, and barometer along with firmware for such. Most drones are not equipped with such. Many flight controllers are open source, The most popular firmwares available are open source. Open source devs tend to frown on such government intrusion. Just because you hate a piece of technology or are ignorant to it doesn't mean the government should have a backdoor into it.

      How about a something like a secondary chip built into all computers, that when it receives the appropriate signal, causes the computer to deny control by the user and allows the government total access. What are your thoughts on that? How about a chip that allows the government to take over your car or your cell phone? You know...because terrorism

  26. Just ban them by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    Just ban them. They serve no purpose except for spying on people's daughters sunbathing by the pool, based on the comments I see on Slashdot.

    1. Re:Just ban them by John_Sauter · · Score: 1

      Just ban them. They serve no purpose except for spying on people's daughters sunbathing by the pool, based on the comments I see on Slashdot.

      That's a pretty important purpose. Say hi to your daughter for me.

  27. Re:Huh by Desler · · Score: 2

    Maybe the fact that they want to hide all records from the public?

    That's not suspicious in the least! /sarcasm

  28. I don't think anybody here is fooled by hyades1 · · Score: 5, Informative

    When all the weasel words are taken into account, it quickly becomes obvious that this means, "Drones making video of police beating or killing civilians will be taken down, and you can try to get the wreckage back by talking to one of our tame judges."

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:I don't think anybody here is fooled by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Don't you think at this stage of the game the number of people who have smartphones and can livestream video from anywhere at any time (thus not capable of being confiscated) is hundreds of thousands of (millions? tens of millions?) times more than the number of people who have drones?

      I stand by what I said before: this is actually an attack on encryption in general. Get drone manufacturers to put backdoors in their drone control signal encryption, and you have legal precedent to make everyone else do the same.

    2. Re:I don't think anybody here is fooled by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      I stand by what I said before: this is actually an attack on encryption in general.

      Since it has nothing to do with encryption, no, it is not an attack on encryption.

      Get drone manufacturers to put backdoors in their drone control signal encryption,

      Who needs a backdoor?

    3. Re:I don't think anybody here is fooled by hyades1 · · Score: 1

      I don't disagree with you, but I don't think you're seeing the whole picture, either. Jamming WiFi and cell service is ridiculously easy, as is denying close access to a situation. What kind of video can your cell phone get from ground level and 200 yards back? Cell phone jammers exist, and if you don't think the authorities would use them...well, I don't think for a moment you're that naive.

      Don't ever make the mistake of believing people engaged in a massive power grab have only a single objective when they talk about measures like this.

      "All of the above" is most likely to be the correct answer.

      --
      I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    4. Re:I don't think anybody here is fooled by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      In five minutes with Google search I learned that drone control signals are digitally encrypted, so how are you coming to the conclusion that my opinion is in error when I say that they might want a 'backdoor' into the encryption used to control them? It's just as plausible as anything else, and quite frankly: if I can think of it, then what makes you think that someone else didn't already think of it? If I wanted to do an end-run around the denials of companies like Apple, who have already flatly refused to backdoor their own encryption, setting a legal precedent by getting a smaller company to do as I say would be a great and powerful first step towards geting a Judge to force a larger company (like Apple) to do as I say. Don't think for a minute that politicians and law enforcement in this country have given up on wanting to ruin encryption for everyone with their desire to break it with a 'backdoor', despite all their technical advisers telling them what a bad idea it would be.

      The irony for me in this discussion is that I hate drones, especially hobby drones, and I'd just as soon they were banned outright, or better yet had never been invented in the first place. Yet I end up defending them in cases like this because it ends up being about something larger and much more important than insensitive selfish jerks flying their annoying toys into places they don't belong.

    5. Re:I don't think anybody here is fooled by Obfuscant · · Score: 1

      In five minutes with Google search I learned that drone control signals are digitally encrypted,

      And I found otherwise.

      so how are you coming to the conclusion that my opinion is in error

      You didn't express an opinion, you made a statement of fact. This is about encryption and backdoors. No, it isn't.

      setting a legal precedent by getting a smaller company to do as I say would be a great and powerful first step towards geting a Judge to force a larger company (like Apple) to do as I say.

      They don't have to do as you say.

  29. Clipper chips by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can't wait to pay twice the price for an extra heavy quad copter + trump tracker.

  30. Are drones a problem for aircraft? by mi · · Score: 1

    they are a problem for firefighting aircraft.

    This part I never understood, to be perfectly honest. Every time there is a news-report about pilots avoiding a "near miss" with a drone, I wonder — why do they bother "avoiding" it? None of the consumer-drone I've seen is tougher than a sizeable bird and an airplane better be tough to enough fly straight through a bird or two — except, perhaps, condors... But the heavy (loaded with water) fire-fighting craft (as well as the usual passenger planes used by commercial airlines) should be able to fly through even a condor without registering the collision...

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    1. Re:Are drones a problem for aircraft? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 1

      This part I never understood, to be perfectly honest. Every time there is a news-report about pilots avoiding a "near miss" with a drone, I wonder — why do they bother "avoiding" it?

      Because it's always vastly preferable not to hit anything when you're flying a plane. It's not like they have a lot of time to estimate the weight and size of it, then to calculate the percentage probability that it'll mess up their engines, etc. And even if you can be 99% sure it's not going to mess up your plane, and it doesn't, the plane's still going to get grounded at the end of the flight for checks.

      Anyway, in the majority of cases, there probably is no avoidance, because there's no time to act. Then it's just a near-miss.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    2. Re:Are drones a problem for aircraft? by markdavis · · Score: 1

      +1 insightful

      This whole thing is blown WAY out of proportion about firefighting or law enforcement safety. A drone doesn't supply any more danger in such a situation that in ANY OTHER situation where it is flying near or over people. Period. This is just a power grab.

    3. Re:Are drones a problem for aircraft? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Near misses default to 'drone' these days. Often the reports are revised a day or so later, and with no coverage, to be a near miss with a blowing plastic bag...

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    4. Re:Are drones a problem for aircraft? by zippthorne · · Score: 1

      I'm always suspicious of those news reports. I saw one accompanied by video of a firefighting aircraft taken from the exact trajectory the drone was reported to have followed in relation to the aircraft. The video wasn't a reconstruction or recreation, although I suppose it could've been stock footage, but the path of the observer in relation to the reported trajectory was very suspicious.

      My suspicion is that the drones that the firefighters are complaining about are operated by the news organizations covering the fires (and also covering the "drone problem") and not by hobbyists. This would explain their larger size, range, and performance characteristics compared to typical commercially available drones - they're specialty drones designed for the express purpose of capturing video over long distances and altitudes.

      --
      Can you be Even More Awesome?!
    5. Re:Are drones a problem for aircraft? by dcollins117 · · Score: 1

      A drone doesn't supply any more danger in such a situation that in ANY OTHER situation where it is flying near or over people. Period.

      Maybe you haven't seen the videos on YouTube of people weaponizing drones. Like this guy who mounts a machine gun on quadcopter.

    6. Re:Are drones a problem for aircraft? by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Throwing a few little bits of metal into a turbine or propeller is likely to end very badly. While it's not going to do a great deal of initial damage a very small crack in a component under a lot of of stress can lengthen into a serious crack, sometimes very quickly, and result in a catastrophic failure.
      Bird strike has resulted in a few crashes. Drones have harder bits in them than birds and are going to cause more damage.

  31. Re:Huh by Guybrush_T · · Score: 1

    That's the trick. Start with a statement that everyone should agree with. "We want to be able to take down drones which endanger the life of others !!" Sure, and I think that was already the case.

    Then hide small text where the real difference lies : "so we'll grant us the right to track (Why ?), hack (WTF??), and destroy drones and this without disclosure and with no risk of being sued".

  32. ha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good luck with that. Apparently they aren't even allowed to get them registered.

  33. Re:Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    As someone who thinks Donald trump is one of the more useless pieces of shit to grace this planet, this is actually fairly sound policy. More of this and less bitching on Twitter, please.

    Perhaps you could wake the fuck up, and focus more on that whole exempt-from-FOIA fine print with this latest piece of law-shit, and less on the pointless 3AM Twitter ramblings.

    Twitter isn't trying to undermine the entire fucking point of FOIA.

  34. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  35. Re:Huh by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 2

    You mean, like Hillary's email? Like that?

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  36. Speaking of Hacks - Terrible Reporting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We all know that some liberals consider the president the anti-Christ, but the administrative branch of the US government can not propose legislation. That power is in the hands of the legislative branch. The article doesn't say who did propose the legislation, and suggested (without saying it) that an upcoming meeting between the administration and legislators may be in support of the bill, but a more accurate title would be "Legislation Proposed to Track and Hack Your Drone". There's nothing in the article at all to support that the president is in favor of the legislation. Fuck fastcompany.com.

  37. Re:Huh by Sparowl · · Score: 1
    Time! (clicks stopwatch)

    33 minutes before you brought up Hillary in a discussion about politics? A little slow. Are you okay?

  38. Radio jamming, GPS Selective Availability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They already have means to pwn my drones by radio frequency jamming or employing GPS Selective Availability.

    1. Re:Radio jamming, GPS Selective Availability by guruevi · · Score: 1

      Depends on your drone, you can build drones without all that fancy crap, we even flew across the ocean once without.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  39. Ever heard of radar? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar

  40. How would you manage to do this? by Harlequin80 · · Score: 1

    Sure you could probably require DJI or Gopro to include an over-ride command in their code. But how would you enforce this on an ardupilot controlled drone? Building a large scale camera platform based on a naza or ardupilot is pretty easy.

    And that completely ignores all the micro racing quad flight controllers which run betaflight or KISS. Neither of those have GPS or stabilized flight systems. So you could jam the 2.4g band to take out its control signal but then you are taking out a lot more than just that quad.

  41. Re:Huh by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

    Being the winners, they aren't as obsessed as the losers are.

    Do you count the minutes for the Drumpf shitposters?

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  42. Re:Huh by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

    Some of Trump's broad based 'philosophies' are fine - limited government, closing loopholes on immigration, balancing the budget, personal freedoms, etc.

    Virtually all of the Trump Administrations attempts at actually creating functional legislation, OTOH have been pitiful disasters. And then there is the little issue of 360 degree changes in viewpoint depending on who last rubbed his ego. So yeah, some sort of coherent legislation concerning rogue UAVs is fine. I rather suspect, however, that the actual rules will be an incomprehensible, reprehensible mess.

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  43. EVVVIIIILLLL Trump! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Why is it that every other headline is TRUMP DOES BAD THING instead of tech news headlines? None of the editors ever pointed a finger at Obama ripping the country apart, and here we are now with this blatant political agenda. Who is behind it? The Russians? George Soros? The...the...illuminati? Come on and give us a break. WHAT is going on here? It also doesn't help that we have this Flavor-Aid drinkin' noob BeauHD posting gobs of false news whenever he checks his iPhone.

    1. Re:EVVVIIIILLLL Trump! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This is about drones. Drones are tech. Duh

      Not my fault that Trump fucks-up so much shit that its bound to appear in more than one article about technology.

    2. Re:EVVVIIIILLLL Trump! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yessir, Trump himself has read books on drones and secretly plotted against all nerds to hack into secret election systems and change the trajectories of said nuclear-equipped drones to a bazaar in Kazakhstan where they can be sold for pennies on the ruble to Russian "KGB" agents.

    3. Re:EVVVIIIILLLL Trump! by acrimonious+howard · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why is it that every other headline is TRUMP DOES BAD THING instead of tech news headlines?

      This is about drones, the law, and the leader who's administration brought forth that law. The exact same headline would have happened if Obama had pushed this.

      None of the editors ever pointed a finger at Obama ripping the country apart

      I remember in 2008 my relatives promised me civil war, utter stock market annihilation, the literal death of the country if the black guy won. Then when it didn't happen, and everyone predicted the same thing again in 2012! And yet the opposite happened both times, the country boringly kept steadily improving the entire time he was in office. Is there ever going to be an apology? Nope, just more gasping hyperbole without demonstrable evidence or citations I guess. You want to compare them? Before Obama, people always said the market was above all the most important stat, let's start with that one.

    4. Re: EVVVIIIILLLL Trump! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Under Obama we saw unprecedented spying, and it never got blamed on him in headlines.

    5. Re: EVVVIIIILLLL Trump! by SirSlud · · Score: 1

      It's much easier to think you have a point when you simply deny reality:

      https://yro.slashdot.org/story...

      https://it.slashdot.org/story/...

      https://yro.slashdot.org/story...

      Etc, etc, etc.

      Do you feel like a sensitive little stupidhead? Because you should.

      --
      "Old man yells at systemd"
    6. Re:EVVVIIIILLLL Trump! by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Why is it that every other headline is TRUMP DOES BAD THING instead of tech news headlines?

      Simple: Trump is fucking up so many things that ALL news is now about Trump, not just tech news.

      --
      No sig today...
    7. Re: EVVVIIIILLLL Trump! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It might have something to do with the fact the nearly everything that trump is attempting to do is to fuck the country, its people, and the planet for profit, play golf on taxpayer money, and undo the things that Obama accomplished that actually benefit Americans.

  44. Re:Huh by HornWumpus · · Score: 2

    '360 degree changes in viewpoint'...you are a moron...just for the record.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  45. There's just one tiny hiccup.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

    The Trump administration wants federal agencies to be able to track, hack, or even destroy drones...

    Okay, now I know that they *say* that they want to do this when a drone is posing a threat to public safety or to rescue operations, and that much is all very well and good. So let's give them the benefit of the doubt on this for just a minute here, and assume that was really all they were ever going to do and it wouldn't be abused.... Ignore for just a moment how unlikely you might think that is and just hear me out on this.

    Even *IF* the government actually entirely abides by their proclaimed intentions to only use these mechanisms when it was truly necessary for the greater public good, this is still going to be a problem because, you see, if the federal agencies can do it then others with more outwardly nefarious intentions could also do it, using the exact same means... and while laws may exist against individuals doing such things, it might end up being rather hard to identify who is doing it.

    I would think that such a situation would be far more problematic than the one that they are trying to alleviate by these proposed measures.

  46. well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why not extend the concept to include cars and airplanes? heck, maybe we all get implants, so bodies can also be destroyed remotely.

  47. Re: Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Found trumps Cock holster boys.

  48. Tell 'em it's a gun... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...and they'll leave you alone. Thanks to the NRA. Unless of course, you're black.

  49. Not buying it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What are they going to do, shoot it with a missile? Good luck getting the FCC to approve broad-spectrum jamming. FFS. It's a $90 drone with some spread spectrum radio action. If anyone actually cares they will bring a truckload of them and it won't matter that you shoot a few down, it will be like swatting flies at the dump.

  50. Re: Huh by HornWumpus · · Score: 2

    Keep, 'turning that ship, 360 degrees'.

    When you see it, you will kick yourself as the moron that you are.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  51. Re:Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, because Hillary isn't president and isn't relevant to the discussion. Lame false narrative is lame.

  52. This started long before Trump by walterbyrd · · Score: 1

    MSM wants to blame Trump for a cloudy day.

    They have been wanting to register drones for a few years now.

    1. Re:This started long before Trump by andydread · · Score: 1

      Did you bother to read this? or is it your knee-jerk reaction to be a Trump apologist? This is not about registering drones. This is about putting a backdoor on the computers that control drones in order to allow the government access to those vehicles.

  53. fuck this stupid fuck by Hugh+Jorgen · · Score: 0

    To the chopper or you're fired. What ever fits. The fourth amendment is still around for a reason. Fuck you. Fuck Putin (on a ritz).

  54. Fair game by nachtelfjeiu · · Score: 1

    Making a drone fair game to any official who dislikes it for any reason might be the only way to halt the increasing problems they'll pose to safety and privacy.

  55. Re:Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As someone who thinks Captain Splendid and his suckle-pic Hillary Clinton are some of the most useless pieces of shit to grace this planet, at least we can agree.

  56. He's done it again... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's the TRUMP administration doing this; The Donald is out to get you. With Obama, it was the faceless government, never Barry's doing.

  57. Just a bit of history here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wasn't it the Obama administration that required drones to be registered?

    1. Re:Just a bit of history here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, but Trump gets blamed for everything. Soon you'll see him blamed for not closing the toilet seat over at Uncle/Dads house.

  58. Re:Huh by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

    Did Hillary hide or not hide emails, server etc from the public?

    The selective moral outrage by the Democrats and left is astounding.

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  59. Re:Huh by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

    Well, she is relative to the discussion, because as far as "hiding" things goes, she was a master, and almost became president. And the outrage was nonexistent during the campaign, even though it was well known. This kind of dismissal is what I expect from Liberals caught in their typical hypocritical double standard.

    Its only bad when the other guy does it!

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  60. Re:Huh by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Look, you won. Get over it.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  61. Re: Huh by david_thornley · · Score: 1

    Keep up those 360-degree turns and you'll get precisely nowhere. Try going in one direction rather than all of them.

    --
    "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  62. Re:Huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    less bitching on Twitter, please.

    You asking him to give up his singular asset? The TV rights alone might actually get him out of debt. You really are misunderstanding his intent.

    And more than anything, the man epitomizes the internet. He was made in its image. A perfect caricature. And of course, with the candidate you people put up, he couldn't lose. Thanks!