Domestic non-military drone use took one step closer to widespread implementation on Sunday, as the Federal Aviation Administration issued proposed regulations for small unmanned aircraft systems in the U.S.

According to an FAA press release, the rule would limit flights to daylight and visual-line-of-sight operations. It also addresses height restrictions, operator certification, aircraft registration and marking, and operational limits. In a blow to Google and Amazon, it does not permit drone delivery.

“The potential for drones to violate individual rights supports the need for legislation and regulations for government uses of drones as well as commercial vehicles.”

Also on Sunday, the White House issued an Executive Order requiring every federal agency to develop “a framework regarding privacy, accountability, and transparency for commercial and private [Unmanned Aircraft Systems] use” within 90 days and with an eye toward protecting personal privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. 

“Together, the FAA regulations and the White House order provide some basic rules of the sky that will govern who can fly drones in the United States and under what conditions, while attempting to prevent aviation disasters and unrestrained government surveillance,” the Washington Post declared.

But civil liberties experts warned that the FAA rules and presidential memo leave the door open for invasions of privacy by the government and corporations.

“The proposed rules do absolutely nothing to address privacy, except perhaps require some identifying markings displayed in the ‘largest practicable manner’ such that you may be able to identify who owns the drone that is spying on you,” Ryan Calo wrote at Forbes. “I was on the conference call announcing the new rules and the Secretary of Transportation mentioned the importance of privacy and civil liberties, but this commitment is not reflected in the proposed rules.”

The Center for Democracy and Technology called on Congress to raise the bar on domestic drone standards.

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