Zakhary Kalifatidi

Mrs. Grant

English 9

11 February 2016

Drones

In today's society, drones are being misused. Laws about drones have not caught up to the
present technology advancements. The few laws that are in place are not being enforced
properly or eectively. Not only is this a problem within the United States homeland, but the U.S.
Military is taking advantage of the secrecy and lack of accountability drones oer to do
horrendous acts in the Middle-East without many limits. Unregulated use of drones, whether
military, governmental, civilian, or commercial, should not be allowed. Military Drones are being
used by the U.S. Military as a weapon against terrorists, but are not as eective as one might
think.

The use of U.S. drones in the Middle-East to kill insurgents and extinguish terrorism is
downright counterproductive and inhumane. These drones carry no pilot, but are controlled by
remotely pilots in the U.S. The U.S. Military uses drones to eliminate or kill terrorist insurgents.
(Info-Based Learning) Drones are very eective in killing these terrorists but have one major flaw.
These pilots who are halfway across the world have orders when to take the shot to kill a
terrorist. Ocials who give this order care only about killing the insurgent and lack accountably
for additional, unplanned civilian deaths. Also, these decisions are often made in groups. In
these groups, like most groups, poor and rushed decisions are often made due to the natural
influence of peer pressure (radiolab). Often times, the targeted person will be in a public area
near many civilians. When the drone shoots a missile at the insurgent target, the blast will kill
and maim not only the targeted individual, but also those standing near the blast. U.S. drone
strikes caused an estimated _ civilian deaths in 2015. By using these unregulated drone strikes
that are permitted despite the likelihood of civilian casualties, the U.S. is helping terrorist groups
like Al Qaeda and ISIS spread their influence and gain support due to the hate towards the U.S.
these strikes result in. This is not only counterproductive, but also inhumane. The U.S. Military,
by using drone strikes, is becoming the terrorist organization they are attempting to combat. The
U.S. Government is not only causing unrest in the Middle-East, but in the U.S. homeland also.

Like military drones, the U.S. Government and law enforcement must be regulated and
restricted while using drones. With the recent advancements in both autonomous and remote
controlled, U.S. Law Enforcement has begun to experiment with and use drones for uses like
surveillance and search and rescue. While drones can greatly improve some aspects of U.S. Law
enforcement and emergency services, restrictions and regulations must be put in place in order
to ensure the rights of U.S. Citizens as guaranteed by the 4th amendment. This amendment
prohibits search and seizure by law enforcement without probable cause. Drones nowadays are
being fitted with imaging hardware like infrared and thermal imaging. With this hardware, one
can essentially see into the privacy of someone else's dwelling. While the U.S. Law Enforcement
has only just begun to experiment with the use of drones, the general public has had access
since aordable remote controlled drones or kits have been on the market.

In the past years, hobbyists and companies have been developing aordable and small
drones and kits. Almost anyone can go to a local hobby-shop and buy a drone. Prices generally
range from upwards of $70. Drones, depending on the price, can come as small as a dove or as
large as a coee table. Most are equipped with some sort of camera, as people tend to use
drones for cinematic photography (Lowy). The problem with this is that people can spy on

anyone else without their knowledge or consent. Also, laws and law enforcement have yet to
catch up to the advancements in drones these past few years. The fact that civilian use of
drones is almost uninhibited by any sort of rule or law is becoming an increasing problem
because of the availability of drones. Even when there is a restriction put in place, it is very hard
to enforce. The basic rules about drones go as follows; drones under .55 pounds must be
registered, you must not let your drone out of your sight, and one cannot fly their drone above
400 feet or in populated areas like airports or stadiums (Kelly). Despite these rules being put in
place, they are very hard to enforce. People break these rules and many are not caught or
punished. In order for drones to be regulated eectively, there needs to be restrictions put on
those selling the drones. Without putting these restrictions in place, it will be almost impossible
to regulate civilian drones.

In order for drone use to be allowed, drones must be regulated and restricted whether used
by military, the government, or civilians. While military use of drones is downright
counterproductive and inhumane, law enforcement and other governmental use of drones could
be of assistance to the general public, as long as they are regulated to maintain civilian
constitutional rights. Civilian use of drones however, must be regulated and restricted heavily.
Too many people are getting away with spying and other malicious acts using drones. Despite all
the bad aspects oered, drones have immense potential to society so long as the use is
regulated and monitored across the board.