Northrop Grumman's EQ-4B Global Hawk drone is shone. The unmanned aerial vehicle costs more than $70 million.
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We're all for encouraging the advancement of technology, but clearly there are limits to its use.
Specifically, limits should come into play in the deployment of drones, the unmanned aerial robotic devices that enable the operators to see and do things that otherwise would not be possible or as efficient.
These devices first came to the public's attention with the use of drones in military surveillance and on the battlefield.
Of late, deployment for news-gathering purposes-the ability to take photographs at public events and gatherings, such as a football game or at an assembled crowd of protesters -has been noted.
And then there is the use of drones by people looking into what other people are doing on their personal property. This use of drones for intrusive surveillance and invasion of privacy is the area of greatest concern, as it should be.
Not long ago we read of a boat owner tagged with not properly registering his craft in the community and state in which he lived. The evidence came from a drone photograph. But it's reasonable to argue evasion of taxes was not reason enough to justify invading the privacy of this and all other nearby property owners by someone on a fishing expedition, if that is what this was.
We're not experts in unlawful search and seizure, but the principles are well understood to most people: The government and law enforcement are entitled to drive past your property and inquire into things visible in plain sight. Deploying something similar to a model helicopter to snoop over your back fence-without first establishing probable cause and meeting its legal definition-is a step too far.
The pluses of drones surprisingly are seen most clearly in their application for agricultural uses. Farmers and ranchers are among the nation's largest owners of property, and they have age-old challenges that go with tending to their land and monitoring what occurs there.
A recent field day at the Graves-Chapple Research Center outside Corning, Mo., featured a program that touched on several helpful uses for these devices: overhead examination of crop conditions with both high-definition video and still photographs; application of crop sprays; transport of low-cost infrared imagery sensors; and monitoring of waterfowl numbers and habitat.
In each instance, the farmer or rancher would be the one deploying the device and doing so on his or her own property.
Congressional lawmakers and the Federal Aviation Administration are tasked to work together to preserve the positives of drone technology, particularly as it relates to agriculture, while defending the property and privacy rights of U.S. citizens.
--St. Joseph (Mo.) News-Press