Personal drones aren’t yet plying U. S. flyways. But an arms race is building among people looking to track celebrities, unfaithful lovers or even wildlife. Some organizations would like them for emergency operations in areas hit by natural disasters. Several efforts to develop personal drones are scheduled for completion in this year, per this Wall Street Journal article.

Drones now are associated with the unmanned Predator craft the Central Intelligence Agency uses to fire Hellfire missiles at militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas. But the essential technology is increasingly available beyond military circles, and spreading fast. An unmanned aircraft that can fly a predetermined route costs a few hundred bucks to build and can be operated by iPhone.

The implications for personal privacy and the use of drones are immense. For now, the Federal Aviation Administration limits domestic use of drones to the government, and even those are under tight restrictions. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency is working with private industry on standards that might allow broader use once drone technology evolves. When it comes to paparazzi use of drones, she said, “our primary concern with that would be safety issues.” New York divorce lawyer Raoul Felder puts the concerns into perspective  “If the Israelis can use them to find terrorists, certainly a husband is going to be able to track a wife who goes out at 11 o’clock at night and follow her.” Read more…