John,
Drones are not a public health solution, but police are using COVID-19 as an excuse to expand drone surveillance.
Drones can be used en-mass or on targeted populations—like in Chula Vista, California, where the police department recently used drones with speakers to blast recordings down to a homeless camp, likely terrifying a population already suspicious of government and police aid.1 The drone provider, a company called DJI, has unnervingly suggested using drones to monitor body temperature and spray disinfectant.
Some police departments are saying drones provide a public health benefit, but these claims are misguided. Drones are not for public health—they are for public spying. Tell local governments across the country to pledge not to use COVID-19 as an excuse to expand remote surveillance.
TAKE ACTION
This isn’t the first time that drones have been used to target homeless populations.2 These surveillance programs are draconian measures that threaten our basic rights and freedoms. Sign the petition now to tell authorities to #DropDrones during COVID-19.
We need real health solutions, and drones are not one of them. Homeless people do not need to be monitored, chased, and arrested with drones; they need housing, resources, and support from trained staff. People in public spaces do not need drones to track their location; they need COVID-19 testing and outreach.
Drones are not going to fix the pandemic. Let’s put them back on the shelves, and focus on real solutions.
Stay safe,
Sarah at Fight for the Future
Footnotes:
1. NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/homeless-people-are-risk-coronavirus-police-have-contentious-solution-drones-n1191866
2. The Federal Way Mirror: https://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/police-use-drone-surveillance-to-check-on-suspected-homeless-camps-in-federal-way/
Fight for the Future works to protect your rights in the digital age.
