US invests in drones despite criticism

The US state of California is heavily investing in drones regardless of warnings they would affect the privacy of Americans, Press TV reports.

Federal officials estimate that the drones could be worth USD 90 billion in economic activity over the next 10 years.

State leaders hope that the drone industry will restore those jobs lost due to the closure of aircraft companies in California, once a center of the aerospace industry.

But critics say California is moving too fast without taking into consideration the effects of drones on people and their privacy.

Joe Delaplane, who is with anti-drone Answer Los Angeles, said California should rather invest in technologies designed to help people, noting that the drones could not provide healthcare or feed people.

Privacy groups warn that the drones would be the first step toward warrantless surveillance.

They have asked lawmakers to pass new laws to protect the public by making it illegal to use drones for surveillance without obtaining a warrant first.

The push for drones coincides with intensified police surveillance of public areas in a so-called attempt to prevent attacks.

In February, the US Federal Aviation Administration said it had issued some 1,428 permits for domestic drone operators since 2007 and that another 10,000 permits could be issued over the next five years.

The US Department of Homeland Security also said it had received a massive response from potential drone-building vendors, and was moving toward more tests of the technology for “public safety applications.”

Experts have criticized Washington for its aggressive pursuit of a domestic drone program, saying it violates privacy rights, while drawing on similarities with the foreign drone policy used in war zones in the Middle East.