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Raquel

English 1101

May 4, 2017

Up, Up, and Away

The constitution is an important guide for Americans to know their rights. Each day there

is new and improved technology that revolutionizes the world. The fourth amendment, states that

the right of people to be safe in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable

searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable

cause. Privacy and new modern technology go hand-in-hand together. Many people are

calling this the Digital Era. Privacy is dwindling, and new laws and regulations need to be put

into place in order to help American citizens feel safe. Drones test the fine line between what is

and what is not allowed. Drones can be helpful when used correctly. Drones should not be given

permission to fly over peoples property, unless certain cases call for the use or need but it should

be with the consent of the property owner. Drones are more likely to be unappealing to the older

generation, cause traffic, and make people uncomfortable because of what the drone can do.

To begin with drones are similar to people. Some old people yell at anyone else, who step

foot on their yard, and may say GET OFF MY LAWN! Like people, drones can invade

peoples property. According to Daniel J. Solove, Existing law should be extended to allow

some privacy protection for things that people say and do in what would have previously been

considered the public domain (Solove 2), it applies to every American and privacy is important.

Privacy is something that should be protected. Not everyone living in the Digital Era feels the

same way. The older generation is more likely to disapprove. If we lose those quiet spaces, or
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fill them up with content, we will sacrifice something important not only in ourselves but in our

culture (Carr 13). Basically, what Nicholas Carr is trying to say is that Americans, or people in

general, should not try to just find something and fill those empty voids. The people are trying to

integrate drone, or on the other hand prevent, drones from popularizing the skies much more than

they already are.

Of course, not every person will feel the same way about sharing information. Older

generations tend to be more private in comparison to younger generations. Anything that drones

can record, could end up on the web. For example, the Star Wars Kid, he was a ...15-year-

old[who] videotaped himself waving around a golf- ball retriever while pretending it was a

lightsaber (Solove 2). The boy was videotaped with another device but it still found its way to

the Internet. Now in a scenario where drones record something that a private citizen does not

want to be shared, it would be an infringement of privacy. A. Michael Froomkim writes,

every time you see one [drone] in the air you will have reasons to fear it may be spying on you

(Froomkin 4). The quote shows the audience how American fear that their images are being

taken. It is the fact that the drones are so complex, that makes people feel more at risk of being

stalked or watched with evil purposes.

Having something recorded, taking a picture or even recording live when a person does

not want it is an infringement of privacy rights. Drones are coming smarter and smarter each day.

With new features and advancements such as better picture resolutions, higher or lower flight

altitudes, waterproof, all becoming a reality plus more. As Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems

once famously declared: You already have zero privacy. Get over it. Countless books and

articles have heralded the end, death and destruction of privacy (Solove 5). All this which

is true because everything this society does depends on technology including, credit card
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transactions, applying for jobs, and buying plane tickets. Anything is virtually done on some type

of computer. Technology is essentially taking over. Privacy is something that must be cherished

and things must change. Drone are going to catch up and become a huge part of technology. Just

like computers, tablets and phones, drones will too. Laws and regulations should keep up with

the times to avoid as much conflict as possible and to be able to still feel safe in the comfort of

ones home. If something or someone does not want to allow to allow it, it should be allowed

unless it is crucial in certain cases.

The way different generations see things is very important and must be seen from both

sides. If people cannot have privacy in their own home, then they cannot have privacy at all.

People should be able to rely on being safe and sound in their backyard, it goes to show that

there is something more to do in order to prevent privacy right violations. People will share what

they want to share and that should be respected and important. Information that people put on

social media for example is like people choosing whether or not they want drones to fly by their

house or even over their heads. Contraptions dont change consciousness; contraptions are part

of consciousness. We may not act better than we used to, but we sure think differently than we

did (Gopnik 16). It will change the way Americans think and act, leading up to stress and

anxiety of just knowing that there is something that is or could be watching them.

While I believe that drones need more regulations and laws to protect Americans privacy

rights, and that drones should be allowed permission to fly over peoples property, only if it

crucial in each situation, I understand why other people might see the need to complete abolish

it. It is not only a terribly inefficient process to go around asking each induvial for permission,

it is something that must be considered (Calo 5). Airplanes are not quite as comparable because

they stay at much higher altitudes and are unable to take high resolution pictures.
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To conclude, drone should not be allowed to fly over private property, unless there is a

need or it is crucial to the given circumstance. It not appeals to older generations; it makes

American citizens uncomfortable due to the capabilities that drones possess. With so many risks

of getting unwanted footage, pictures, or information, the only place where Americans should be

able to feel and be safe in their homes.

Works Cited
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Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 27 Apr.

2017. Web. 06 May 2017.

Froomkin, A. Michael, and Ryan Calo. "Should You Be Allowed to Prevent Drones From Flying

Over Your Property?" The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 22 May 2016.

Web. 06 May 2017.

Gopnik, Adam. "How the Internet Gets Inside Us." The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 01 May

2015. Web. 06 May 2017.

Solove, Daniel J. "The End of Privacy." Nature.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2017.