Can drones see through windows regardless of whether they're open or closed?

[tstr14]

Honestly, I'm shocked by this thread.

Not because of the alleged incident, but rather because members that have vociferously argued against my POV that the state can regulate what you do with a camera mounted on a drone by shouting "constitutional rights!", insisting that only the FAA has jurisdiction over drone operations, and insisting that if a Nikon with a long lens from across the street can legally look through that window, a drone can too.

If any of you somewhere in those multiple arguments over the months has asserted some proximity limit that makes this illegal, I missed it.

Wow...

The FAA has stated that in the case of privacy, states may make and enforce their own rules (emphasis added):

For example, a privacy-related ban on UAS operations over an entire city would very
likely be preempted because it would completely prohibit UAS from using or
traversing the airspace above the city and impede the FAA’s and Congress’s ability to
safely and effectively integrate UAS into the national airspace.7 In contrast, a
privacy-related restriction applied to the lower altitudes over facilities where people
could likely have an expectation of privacy—such as parks or schools—would more
likely be permissible because of its lesser impact. Similarly, tailored security-related
restrictions over open-air water treatment facilities or certain types of critical
infrastructure would more likely be permissible where the restrictions were limited to
the lower altitudes and still permitted UAS overflight (e.g., by commercial package
delivery UAS) at higher altitudes.8

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

I'm only asking because my disabled adult daughter caught our neighbor using a drone to look into her open second story bedroom window recently after midnight.

As suggested drones are simply flying cameras and my drones can certainly see out through window glass. That I remember I haven't tried looking in through my windows.

If your daughter room was lit then I imagine that a drone could see the inside of the room quite easily.
Even if the room was not lit then I suspect a drone could adjust the camera's exposure to compensate if positioned correctly, this might be easier if the drone was used for photos rather than video.

Some one once posted a youtube of flying down a street somewhere in England and then looking in an upstairs window. It was pointed out that the video could be voyeurism and, from memory, it was removed.

I once tried to capture a castle ruin with a suset behind it, the shot failed miserably because the camera adjusted the exposure and didn't produce a silouhette and the photo ended up with a lot of foreground detail.

If you have security cameras I would suggest that you put one, facing outwards, in your daughter's window along with perhaps an RID scanner and, if you capture another incident, report the matter to the police.

 

[mavic3usa]

It's very bad advice, particularly on a day when another individual apparently saw fit to ignore the law and common sense and attempt to remove a candidate from the presidential election. Vigilantism is never a wise move.

Whatever, it's not advice. The point flew completely over your head. If the police don't have enough probable cause to go to a judge and get a search warrant, they're not just going to go home, they will just ask the victim if they saw the pilot while flying the drone and if they say no then as soon as they find the pilot, they can claim his drone was being flown VLOS and take his drone to be forward to later to the FAA but in the meantime, they'll take a look at the microSD for themselves. Or sometime similar, there could be a hundred other legal ways. I hate that, and you might hate it too (or not) but the difference between you and me is I'm trying to do something about it (4th amendment). But I'm not so naive that I try to pretend it's not happening but I guess I was right, I knew someone would be triggered.

 

[mavic3usa]

states may make and enforce their own rules (emphasis added):

To me, this says if you figure out a way to do it, the FAA won't stand in your way because we don't feel like we can stop you when it comes to certain areas.

To me, this doesn't mean, we (the FAA) have the power and we also give that power to you (the State) so go ahead with our permission.

Unfortunately I can see some state and local government thinking they can regulate drones when it relates to privacy because the FAA told them they could. Yeah and the FAA also told the state they could stop and detain drone pilots to get their details.

My opinion, not advice.

 

[MS Coast]

Whatever, it's not advice. The point flew completely over your head.

Not over my head. See your post #16.

"... you can use the old fashion techniques and get his drone because after all, it's the right thing to do and it's what the entire neighborhood wants."

the difference between you and me is I'm trying to do something about it (4th amendment). But I'm not so naive that I try to pretend it's not happening but I guess I was right, I knew someone would be triggered.

If triggered means that I object to individuals suggesting going outside the law to exact retribution or revenge or to punish perceived crimes without legal authority, I'll proudly say that yes, your suggestion triggered me. Stealing or destroying someone's property is not "the right thing to do."

 

[Myetkt]

Whatever, it's not advice. The point flew completely over your head. If the police don't have enough probable cause to go to a judge and get a search warrant, they're not just going to go home, they will just ask the victim if they saw the pilot while flying the drone and if they say no then as soon as they find the pilot, they can claim his drone was being flown VLOS and take his drone to be forward to later to the FAA but in the meantime, they'll take a look at the microSD for themselves. Or sometime similar, there could be a hundred other legal ways. I hate that, and you might hate it too (or not) but the difference between you and me is I'm trying to do something about it (4th amendment). But I'm not so naive that I try to pretend it's not happening but I guess I was right, I knew someone would be triggered.

“It's my job to see and recognize the invisible threats to the hobby and deal with them ahead of time so you don't have to.”

I see it wasn’t bad advice, you were simply trying to do your job. Again, aren’t you special.

 

[mavic3usa]

Not over my head. See your post #16.

"... you can use the old fashion techniques and get his drone because after all, it's the right thing to do and it's what the entire neighborhood wants."

Yeah i should have put "it's the right thing to do and it's what the entire neighborhood wants" by Droning On and On because this is the vibe I'm getting from him (that I disagree with) when he constantly says talks about compromise and the people in the community deciding what should be done and how to go about doing it. I wink after that statement, it's not how I would do it in fact I fight against it. but I guess you wouldn't know this because you don't follow the back and forths between him and i. He said in a previous post that he should says something and I did the same; nothing more, nothing less. All of my advice to the OP is in the remainder of my posts and it says "I suggest" or "I think" or "I believe" or "I advise" so read those and forget the other parts if you can't take it in context.

If triggered means that I object to individuals suggesting going outside the law to exact retribution or revenge or to punish perceived crimes without legal authority, I'll proudly say that yes, your suggestion triggered me. Stealing or destroying someone's property is not "the right thing to do."

Don't be ridiculous, you can take his drone legally and stay within the law. Have you forgotten how you have empowered law enforcement to take advantage of the laws and go around the 4th amendment legally? Do I need to remind you how to do it legally? Police don't need to hear it or learn it from me, they already know how. They won't be telling this girl they don't have PC so there's nothing they can do. They'll say wait here, I'll be right back. I'm trying to fight those loopholes and you gladly keep them open; maybe you don't recognize what you are doing, I dunno. You actually help the police walk right out there with someone's drone in their possession legally.

 

[Myetkt]

Yeah i should have put "it's the right thing to do and it's what the entire neighborhood wants" by Droning On and On because this is the vibe I'm getting from him (that I disagree with) when he constantly says talks about compromise and the people in the community deciding what should be done and how to go about doing it. I wink after that statement, it's not how I would do it in fact I fight against it. but I guess you wouldn't know this because you don't follow the back and forths between him and i. He said in a previous post that he should says something and I did the same; nothing more, nothing less. All of my advice to the OP is in the remainder of my posts and it says "I suggest" or "I think" or "I believe" or "I advise" so read those and forget the other parts if you can't take it in context.

Don't be ridiculous, you can take his drone legally and stay within the law. Have you forgotten how you have empowered law enforcement to take advantage of the laws and go around the 4th amendment legally? Do I need to remind you how to do it legally? Police don't need to hear it or learn it from me, they already know how. They won't be telling this girl they don't have PC so there's nothing they can do. They'll say wait here, I'll be right back. I'm trying to fight those loopholes and you gladly keep them open; maybe you don't recognize what you are doing, I dunno. You actually help the police walk right out there with someone's drone in their possession legally.

Have you forgotten how you have empowered law enforcement to take advantage of the laws and go around the 4th amendment legally? Do I need to remind you how to do it legally? Police don't need to hear it or learn it from me, they already know how.

I’ve forgotten, please explain it to me.

 

[mavic3usa]

Have you forgotten how you have empowered law enforcement to take advantage of the laws and go around the 4th amendment legally? Do I need to remind you how to do it legally? Police don't need to hear it or learn it from me, they already know how.

I’ve forgotten, please explain it to me.

I've explained it so many times in so many other threads. Even in a recent thread, there is a discussion about law enforcement from the state and local agencies enforcing drone laws. But you like to argue don't you? Is that why you are asking? Maybe you can tell us what you think the police should do in this case if they have no PC; how should they investigate this and get to the bottom of it quickly? I'm hoping you don't simply want me to throw out my ideas (state my opinion) so you can nitpick it apart. I'm hoping you agree with me that drone flyers have constitutional rights even when they fly their drone and you should respect those even when you believe they are up to no good.

 

[Myetkt]

I've explained it so many times in so many other threads. Even in a recent thread, there is a discussion about law enforcement from the state and local agencies enforcing drone laws. But you like to argue don't you? Is that why you are asking? Maybe you can tell us what you think the police should do in this case if they have no PC; how should they investigate this and get to the bottom of it quickly? I'm hoping you don't simply want me to throw out my ideas (state my opinion) so you can nitpick it apart. I'm hoping you agree with me that drone flyers have constitutional rights even when they fly their drone and you should respect those even when you believe they are up to no good.

Explain it again. I know how I would handle it, but you have made another statement about how the police “take advantage” of the law and do whatever they want. Please explain again.

 

[mavic3usa]

Explain it again. I know how I would handle it, but you have made another statement about how the police “take advantage” of the law and do whatever they want. Please explain again.

No they can't legally do whatever they want. You got it wrong.

I've never operated a drone so I have no idea of their visual capabilities......

Thank you OP, I hope we have been able to give you our comments and maybe some advice on what to do about an unfortunate situation. Lots of input here, hopefully you have more input to digest and handle this however you see fit.

Maybe you understand why perhaps in some forums, these types of questions attract a lot of negative feedback and conflict in the drone community and the threads/posts don't last because when people try to express their thoughts or comments or beliefs or opinions, others get triggered so easily instead of handling the disagreements without such a thin skin.