As the drone industry gears up to produce technology to knock down their own products, they may find a big customer in the U.S. government. The Trump administration is circulating draft legislation that would give the government sweeping powers to track and destroy drones over the U.S., according to The New York Times.
The proposed legislation is part of a broader law on computer privacy, surveillance and aircraft protection. According to the draft bill, the government would be authorized to track, seize or destroy any unmanned aircraft it deems to post a security threat to areas identified for special protection. While the government would have to respect privacy, civil rights and liberties in pursuing such enforcement, courts would have no jurisdiction to hear lawsuits arising from its anti-drone actions.
The proposal was tacked on to the annual National Defense Authorization Act. As AVweb reported during its coverage of the AUVSI Xponential show earlier this month, anti-drone technology is now an industry focus, with about 65 companies considering products or services to defeat drones.
