California governor vetoes drone surveillance bill

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California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill requiring law enforcement officials to secure warrants from a judge prior to using drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance purposes, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The bill, AB 1327, would force the government to obtain warrants from a judge in using surveillance drones except in emergency situations related to the environment such as oil or chemical spills, the newspaper reported.

Though three other states have already placed limits on drone use, Brown believes the bill goes too far and imposes restrictions beyond federal and state constitutional protections.

According to Assemblyman (Rep) Jeff Gorell, author of the bill, “We’re increasingly living in a surveillance society as the government uses new technology to track and watch the activities of Americans.”

Unmanned Systems Conference 2014 – Israel

“It’s disappointing that the governor decided to side with law enforcement in this case over the privacy interests of California,” Gorell was quoted as saying by The Los Angeles Times on Sunday.

Gorell claimed that the increase in UAV use by the police for surveillance purposes has threatened the privacy of individuals. The author of the bill added that legislators would most likely respond to the veto by proposing a complete moratorium on drone use in California.

UAVs have been an ongoing topic of debate since 2013, causing the United States to boost legislation concerning privacy issues. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), privacy protection bills have been introduced in 36 states, are active in 22 states and have been enacted in four states in 2014. Overall, 13 states have enacted laws regarding drone surveillance restrictions since 2013.