Drones Manufacturer Allies With ACLU to Call For Pro-Industry Privacy Regulation

Within any industry, there are always those with a narrow grasp of their interests, and those with the strategic vision to see the industry’s deeper interest. My colleague Sarah Preston of the ACLU of North Carolina has co-authored an op-ed in the Raleigh News & Observer with the founder and CEO of Olaeris, a drone manufacturer, to make the point that strong privacy protections are entirely consistent with policies that encourage growth of the drone industry. In fact, good, clear privacy protections, as the two write,

are good not only for the personal privacy rights of residents but also for the drone industry itself, which will not be restricted or hindered by privacy protections but rather would benefit from clear legal guidelines and the public assurance that this technology will be used appropriately.

Done regulations, they point out, will allow “the industry to thrive while ensuring that the government not use this new technology to infringe on the constitutional rights of its people.”

I couldn’t agree more.