Suffolk Legislature Places Ban on Flying Drones Over County Beaches

Camera-mounted drones have long battled the issue of invading privacy because they can be flown almost anywhere from a fair distance and often, without being seen. Taking this privacy issue into account, the Suffolk County Legislature has voted to ban the use of drones over public beaches in the county. If people still want to fly a drone over the property, they have to get permits and approval from the county parks.

Violators of the approved bill may have to pay as much as $500, which in no way is a small amount if you’re just flying for enjoyment purposes. According to Al Kurpski, a county legislator, people enjoy their privacy when at the beach. So when they see a drone flying overhead, not only is it intrusive, but they may hesitate about coming back to the beach. The whole issue here is that drones with cameras have the ability to capture pictures and footage in high resolution, which can later be put on the internet without your permission, the last place where you’d want a picture of yourself sunbathing.

However, not all legislators see eye to eye with Mr. Krupski because 3 out of 15 voted against the implementation of the bill. In their view, the use of drones is casual and fun. People who want to take advantage of drones and experience aerial photography should not have to apply for a permit to do so. While this debate is in no way going to be swept under the rug just yet, other places around the world will also face the same issue.

While drone usage is mostly for fun, if the UAV gets into the wrong hands, people can use it for malicious intent, such as taking unauthorized pictures and putting them on the internet without consent. Only time will tell how the cookie crumbles.