Drone House Security: Why This New System Raises Concerns

March 27, 2017 by Anas Mustafa

You’ve no doubt heard about drones — and maybe you’ve even seen or possibly even own one — but did you know that these machines can play a role in protecting your home?

Yes, drones could very well represent the next frontier in home security since they have the capability to capture footage and stream it to your mobile device where you can view it, assess whether or not there is an emergency and call the authorities if need be. However, the potential benefits of using a drone as part of your house security system don’t mean that there aren’t things to be mindful of.

Read on to learn a thing or two about drone house security and why this new system raises concerns that you need to keep in mind should you wish to conduct surveillance on your property.

Privacy Concerns

When it comes to using drones, privacy is one of those thorny issues that need to be addressed. Yes, you have a right to protect you property from threats posed by criminals, but depending on the flight path of your drone, you may violate the privacy of, say, neighbours. They probably won’t take kindly, after all, to your camera-equipped drone flying by their bathroom or bedroom window. So you’ll need to be mindful of these concerns and act accordingly. One way to limit the chances of upsetting neighbours is by limiting how high you fly your drone whenever you are near to someone else’s window.

Nuisance Concerns

You can always count on some people using technology for negative things. So while drones can be effective at protecting your home, some people will see them as a way to cause mischief, such as by purposefully filming people not on your property who have not given consent to be filmed. Some people may also seek to film people in their homes by flying their drones by their windows — again, that’s not exactly the thing to do if you want peace with the neighbours.

Regulatory Concerns

New regulations require operators to pass an aeronautical test to use drones that are south of 55 pounds, and they cannot fly these drones north of 400 feet high. You need to ensure that you are aware of any bylaws that may place limits on where you can fly them and when you might be in breach of the law.

Drone house security is definitely the wave of the future, but there are certainly problem areas that you need to be aware of if you’re going to safely, properly and legally go this route to safeguard your property.