Ann Arbor drone policy focuses on citizens’ privacy rights
The city of Ann Arbor Michigan recently adopted a policy regulating the city’s use of drones, which emphasizes individuals’ privacy rights and the strict control of data collected during UAV missions.
Ann Arbor’s City Council voted unanimously Aug. 7 to adopt the policy, which covers employees, third-party providers, consultants and others operating drones on behalf of the city.
Under the new policy drone operators “must take reasonable precautions to avoid inadvertently recording or transmitting images of areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy,” such as in a resident’s home or yard. These precautions could include deactivating the UAV’s cameras during flights to and from an operational site…