Florida new law takes affect tomorrow!

Thresher · Jul 4, 2015

RGD said:
As a Florida flyer I wonder where this goes. If I am out shooting beach video or boats going out the inlet or even just general aerial shots and they are posted on my web site is sounds like I could find myself in court. I guess we will have to wait and seen some cases tested on this.

I think if anyone was concerned of me spying on them I would promptly show them all the material I have shot to try an alleviate their concerns. Flying at an altitude of 100 ft.+ you really can not make any detail. Hopefully none of us here gets hit with a lawsuit for simply flying around an enjoying the outdoors.

Blue Bird · Jul 4, 2015

Thresher said:
I think if anyone was concerned of me spying on them I would promptly show them all the material I have shot to try an alleviate their concerns. Flying at an altitude of 100 ft.+ you really can not make any detail. Hopefully none of us here gets hit with a lawsuit for simply flying around an enjoying the outdoors.

Agreed!

Drone Mastery · Jul 4, 2015

Another New Florida Law!

Chelsea Wagner · Jul 4, 2015

Carlsberg said:
Please tell us how Google Earth fairs in all this

They have algorithms that remove people from the footage.

Thresher · Jul 4, 2015

Chelsea Wagner said:
They have algorithms that remove people from the footage.

Algorithms that remove people from the images gathered by google earth? I don't think so.

SteveE · Jul 5, 2015

Sounds pretty similar to Texas' law. Surveillance seems to be the key concept that will be debated in court.

Gary E · Jul 7, 2015

Ok to use a cell phone but not a sUAV. Interesting.

Chelsea Wagner · Jul 8, 2015

Thresher said:
Algorithms that remove people from the images gathered by google earth? I don't think so.

yes they do google it

The Editor · Jul 8, 2015

Thresher said:
Algorithms that remove people from the images gathered by google earth? I don't think so.

Yup - developed in 2008.

http://research.google.com/archive/papers/cbprivacy_iccv09.pdf

InspiredOne · Jul 8, 2015

The Editor said:
Yup - developed in 2008.

http://research.google.com/archive/papers/cbprivacy_iccv09.pdf

You think that will work on getting rid of annoying neighbors?

GadgetGuy · Sep 2, 2015

The editing/blurring of the people and license plates on Google Earth doesn't deal with the fact that the identifiable people and readable license plates were still captured in the original footage by the videographer. I doubt that you could defend yourself on the privacy invasion claim by simply asserting that you blurred the neighbor in your video before posting to YouTube. You still have the original. That's what they would be suing over.

GadgetGuy · Sep 2, 2015

InspiredOne said:
You think that will work on getting rid of annoying neighbors?

I like that idea!

Wassy · Sep 2, 2015

Many good comments here.....

The problem with this law is that it allows "anyone" to file a civil suit which is costly. This could've been better written. I put my bird up above my house. Certainly I can see my neighbors house down below. Am I conducting surveillance? Of course not. But they don't know that and can file suit. This is getting ridiculous and to the post about cell phone use- you are right? What's the difference Except a cell phone can get more detail in the pic. Would be nice if AMA, even the FAA spoke up in our defense. Otherwise I'm afraid we may see dji and others fall by the wayside. Not sure photographers as a group are big enough to support this industry. I may be wrong.

GadgetGuy · Sep 3, 2015

Wassy said:
Many good comments here.....

The problem with this law is that it allows "anyone" to file a civil suit which is costly. This could've been better written. I put my bird up above my house. Certainly I can see my neighbors house down below. Am I conducting surveillance? Of course not. But they don't know that and can file suit. This is getting ridiculous and to the post about cell phone use- you are right? What's the difference Except a cell phone can get more detail in the pic. Would be nice if AMA, even the FAA spoke up in our defense. Otherwise I'm afraid we may see dji and others fall by the wayside. Not sure photographers as a group are big enough to support this industry. I may be wrong.

Anyone can file a suit against anyone over anything. That's not new. The burden of proof is still upon the complainant. They still would have to prove your intent was to invade their privacy, and that their privacy was, in fact, invaded, and prove damages. Those would all be easy to disprove, unless your intent was to invade their privacy. Keep your videos and your flight logs. You may need them some day. Unless the law includes attorney's fees, it's not going anywhere. If it does, they usually go to the prevailing party---which means your attorney fees, if you hired one, would have to be paid by the complainant, when they lost. That might discourage vexatious litigants!

Dallasfreak · Sep 3, 2015

So the way I read this is....I can't film but still can fly and hover my drone in my subdivision ,and if I am at the beach its still legal if I am high enough....if Not LOOKS LIKE MY DRAGON WILL BE FOR SALE >>>>.......I will put my go pro on my head and just stand at my neighbors mail box and just stare.....THIS SUCKS !!!!

Machoman · Sep 9, 2015

purezerg said:
oh trust me. you guys still have it easy. in china, Beijing it's a 122km diameter no fly zone. I had to resort to taping an aluminium foil over the GPS receiver and turning off the NVidia shield GPS so that the software doesn't know where the bird is and flying it completely in ATTI mode.
because of Beijing's no fly zone, I have learned well how to fly within no fly zone with ATTI mode.

Congratulations! Thats how insane restrictions should be dealt with!