US Senator Warns Against Political Surveillance By Drone 150
cold fjord writes "Politico reports, 'Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she once found a drone peeking into the window of her home — the kind of cautionary tale she wants lawmakers to consider as they look at allowing commercial drone use. ... she used the episode to implore lawmakers to "proceed with caution." Feinstein said she encountered the flying robot while a demonstration was taking place outside her house. She said she went to the window to peek out — and "there was a drone right there at the window looking out at me." ... "Obviously the pilot of the drone had some surprise because the drone wheeled around and crashed ..." she said. ... Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday that she has seen firsthand the surveillance capabilities of drones and called civilian privacy concerns "significant." She ... recommended a search warrant requirement. Feinstein said she is working on legislation with the Commerce Committee and urged senators to move swiftly to create "strong, binding enforceable privacy policies that govern drone operations before the technology is upon us."'"
Isn't that cute (Score:5, Insightful)
She doesn't like it when it happens to her.
Two sets of laws (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Isn't that cute (Score:5, Insightful)
So Feinstein
urged senators to move swiftly to create "strong, binding enforceable privacy policies that govern drone operations before the technology is upon us.
This is such undiluted hypocrisy, given her reaction to the Snowden saga. It would be funny, if it was not so very sad.
Here It Comes Again (Score:5, Insightful)
1. Federal licensing and "oversight" for businesses = tax$
2. Exemptions for "national security" = hello FBI/TSA/NSA/DEA
3. Strong, enforceable privacy policy = Private use prohibited.
Watch for it.
Well? Answer the question! (Score:3, Insightful)
How dare you spy on us !
How dare you try to listen in on privacies like political negotiations as we carve up all your reality and feed it back to you in exchange for votes! Do you know how hard it is to keep cover memes hiding the real reasons we do things in place?
Re:Isn't that cute (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Isn't that cute (Score:5, Insightful)
Just like her stance on gun control-- fine as long as she gets an exception.
She's the master of special pleading.
A drone in the hand (Score:4, Insightful)
Okay, I can on one hand understand the lack of love for the dear Senator. With the other, let us not miss an advantage to press an issue that till now did not seem important to our Surveillance Lady in Waiting. Finally a Senator gets a first hand taste (and let's assume it really happened*) of getting spied on and she's pissed off. Now she wants warrants and oversight so let's help in that direction to the full extent of what it means to have your privacy assaulted.
I think it is sad that one of the privileged needs to be affected before they react with more then a sniff. It would be grand if our elected officials actually cared a damn for the people they represent, but I for one welcome her "outrage" and hope she uses it to tighten privacy laws and get tough on those who ignore our Constitutional rights.
* all this noise of whether it was a real drone, it was made up, or did or did not carry a camera is plain stupid. If it happened then good, she got a taste of the future and does not like it. If it was fake or trumped up so she can cited a "legitimate" reason for her outcry, who cares. The story is her enlightened position.
DIFI (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:She wasn't surveilled.... (Score:4, Insightful)
The irony here is Feinstein over dramatization
That's status quo for her, unfortunately. She's a terrible Senator, but a fairly good power monger.
Just like with guns, her goal is to take this technology away from the hoi polloi and reserve the use for her gang.
Re:Maybe... (Score:5, Insightful)
No, she's got guns. She just doesn't want *you* to have them.
Re:Maybe... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Isn't that cute (Score:5, Insightful)
For politicos like Feinstein, their Party or their alleged philosophical beliefs are as illuminating to their decision process as the logos on a NASCAR jacket. She says whatever sounds the most reasonable and responsible and occasionally stamps her feet and waves her arms and does the least to trouble the status quo as possible.
Meanwhile she makes money investing in military related stocks, and builds a portfolio based on insider knowledge (as is legal for all Senators) and retires much wealthier than when she entered office. Rinse and repeat with the next political opportunist.
Re:Isn't that cute (Score:5, Insightful)
This is such undiluted hypocrisy, given her reaction to the Snowden saga. It would be funny, if it was not so very sad.
Very true. But I am still changing my will so I will be buried with my ice skates. Hell has frozen over. Diane Feinstein has finally found an expansion of government authoritarianism that she is unwilling to support. Wow.
hypocrisy? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not hypocracy if her position is consistantly that the elite and rich defense contractors (doesn't her husband own much of URS) are above the law, and everyone else must bow before them.
Her legislation could say "only senators, former senators, people with over $100 million, and defense contractors can use drones to spy on others" -- and it wouldn't be hypocracy. It'd just be evil.