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Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

theguardian.com

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Re: Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

#31

Post by ISL »

The natural cycle continues. Young disruptors grow older and move for regulation and control.

If drones are outlawed, only outlaws will have drones.

What may be needed isn't laws and regulations, but a common understanding of what is and isn't acceptable for drones. There's not a lot of room on our planet; it's important for us to develop societal norms for where we want and don't want technology.

It's jarring to find popped helium balloons in the wilderness. I'd be sad and unhappy to see and hear drones flitting about our treasured mountains, and even in our city skies. We're tool-builders, but we must be careful with our tools.

Re: Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

#32

Post by baddox »

aniro wrote: post #24

"I'm not going to pass judgment on whether armies should exist, but I would prefer to not spread and democratise the ability to fight war to every single human being." What an interesting choice of words. He might want to read the 2nd amendment to the US Constitution (just as a good place to start).

I'd like to ask him if he thinks big armies are more likely to exist when governments use taxation, fiscal policy, and conscription to fund and staff armies, or if things are "democratized."

Re: Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

#33

Post by Fundlab »

TrevorJ wrote: post #8
everettForth wrote: post #3

"How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their back yard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?" Pretty much the same way I feel about Google Streetview? Or Google Glass?

You raise a good point: it is in Google's interest to maintain a monopoly on as much data as they can.

It just dawned on him that perhaps Schmidt's Google should have focused on improving drone technology instead of driverless cars.

Perhaps they could have made a ton of money, launching drones as a service for the likes of Amazon and the postal. Perhaps they should have monopolized the skies if the hobbiest drones werent interfering with the commercial prospect this technology offers.

Google is still in a good position to integrate this technology with their maps...

(Just thinking loud..)

Re: Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

#35

Post by ihsw »

magicalist wrote: post #23
everettForth wrote: post #3

"How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their back yard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?" Pretty much the same way I feel about Google Streetview? Or Google Glass?

It's silly that this is the top comment. Your examples aren't even analogous. The proper comparison would be the Streetview car sitting outside your house filming continuously, or someone wearing Google Glass standing outside your front window looking in while recording. These things would bother you far more than a Streetview car driving by or meeting someone wearing Google Glass. However, as other's have noted, we…

If everybody has Google Glass on their heads, is there a difference between whether it's a drone buzzing above our heads and whether it's face-mounted cameras?

Mobile phones are already used as spy devices -- do you really think the camera and microphone are off? How do you know?

Most people plainly place their phones on tables after sitting, but would it be so shocking for them to carry a tape recorder everywhere?

Re: Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

#37

Post by scotty79 »

everettForth wrote: post #3

"How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their back yard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?" Pretty much the same way I feel about Google Streetview? Or Google Glass?

How would he feel if someone flung a dung through his open window or doors?

Drones are so fragile. I can imagine lots of possible countermeasures. Hacking, jamming, shooting (slingshot will suffice), throwing a net over it spraying it with water, glue or abrasive powder, EMPing, blinding with laser, burning with laser, deploying counter drone.

Than again what can you do about flung poo?

I thing we should ban people from excitement handling. Let corporations wipe your ass.

One might wonder what kind of neighbors Eric Schmidt has.

Re: Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

#38

Post by etanazir »

stcredzero wrote: post #26
baddox wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not a legal expert, but I think it's already illegal to use drones to harm other people (unless you work for the government).

How does this amazing "unless you work for the government" clause work? Seriously, what is the legal basis of such exceptions? EDIT: I'm not criticizing the parent comment. This is a legitimate question! (As usual!)

"Government for the people by the people" implies the democratization of power; such as drones. Maybe its a bad idea.

Re: Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

#39

Post by VladRussian2 »

TrevorJ wrote: post #8
everettForth wrote: post #3

"How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their back yard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?" Pretty much the same way I feel about Google Streetview? Or Google Glass?

You raise a good point: it is in Google's interest to maintain a monopoly on as much data as they can.

and Google self-driving cars would become a niche product - for trucks only - once drones will en masse appear able to carry 200kg, i.e. 2 persons. eVolo is just a humble start. Self-flying versions of it, especially considering their roots in RC drones, is different tech than cars.

Considering that Bezos understands drones and Google is competitor to Amazon and has been missing the quiet revolution coming, this isn't a surpising salvo.

Re: Drones should be banned from private use, says Google's Eric Schmidt

#40

Post by magicalist »

ihsw wrote: post #35
magicalist wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's silly that this is the top comment. Your examples aren't even analogous. The proper comparison would be the Streetview car sitting outside your house filming continuously, or someone wearing Google Glass standing outside your front window looking in while recording. These things would bother you far more than a Streetview car driving by or meeting someone wearing Google Glass. However, as other's have noted, we…

If everybody has Google Glass on their heads, is there a difference between whether it's a drone buzzing above our heads and whether it's face-mounted cameras? Mobile phones are already used as spy devices -- do you really think the camera and microphone are off? How do you know? Most people plainly place their phones on tables after sitting, but would it be so shocking for them to carry a tape recorder everywhere?

Uh, that's exactly my point. We are surrounded by devices that can be and sometimes are abused for this kind of surveillance. We've judged them useful enough that it warrants using existing systems to deal with abusers, even while acknowledging that many of them can be used so surreptitiously that we're not going to catch everyone who is abusing them. Drones have so many uses I would say they fall in that same category.
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