Living With Drones

By Professor Andy Miah

An edited version of this was published in The Big Issue (2020)

I remember my first encounter with a drone vividly. It was 2013, the year before drones really hit the big time in consumer terms. And, from the moment it blasted into the sky, I felt that this would be a game changer.

I had heard about drones before, of course. Everyone had. The US Predator drone was etched into the public consciousness. This new, superweapon signalled a new kind of warfare which removed the combatant from the field of conflict. The Predator was not just another new weapon, it was a device that would completely transform the means by which conflicts were resolved. It was the perfect metaphor for modern society, lived at a distance through remote, digitally mediated devices.

However, the drones that really gained prominence in the years that followed were those we now see around us all the time, in streets, at parks, at events, and whose remarkable film footage we see now in reporting of all major events, from natural disasters to epic fantasy films. They range in size, but among the most powerful examples are no more than 60 centimetres in diameter, with rotating blades smaller than pencils. They can fly to extraordinary heights, distances, and even figure out how to avoid colliding into objects or people.

The most amazing thing about these drones is that we can all fly them. Not only are they pretty easy to fly technically, there have also been nearly no rules to forbid such use. In fact, for five years, the UK — and many other countries — allowed the public to fly drones high into the sky with nearly no regulatory limitations.

This is changing now, with new laws brought in from November 2019 that require drone operators to register their drone and pass an online test to prove competence. We have these new rules because consumer drones, which can be found in high street stores, have also been used in ways that have created widespread disruption. From airports being brought to a standstill to injuries to people and property, drones are seriously dangerous when used with intent to harm. Concerns abound also about their impact on personal privacy, as such drones are all equipped with the latest cameras. In fact, they…