After another event, the New Zealand tree climbing competition, I was struck by how the longer the more we take people filming with drones for granted.
In Rotorua, the person flying the drone had it flying around and above the crowd during the Footlock event seemingly pretty indiscriminately. Same at the European TCC in Swierklaniec in August, at times there were three to four drones flying. One thing that strikes me is how indignant these folk get when you challenge them and say that you would prefer them to steer clear of people – after all, these devices can be quite sizable.
It is interesting to see how legislators are struggling to keep abreast with these developments, not surprisingly, really, in view of the break-neck pace at which the developments are evolving. In Switzerland, for example, drones shall not be flown above or closer than 100 meters to a larger assembly of people or a crowd.
This is in considerable contrast to what we are seeing at events… drones all over the place.
Ultimately this is further example of the many ways in which technology poses formidable challenges regarding privacy, civil liberties and safety. I do not intend to sound like a Luddite here – I would be the first to admit to being fascinated by these technological advances – , but it will be very interesting to see how as a society we rise to these challenges.
Religion is the opium of the people, according to Marx.
Today one might have to replace religion by iGadgets… sorry, Karl, but that is just the way it is looking from here.
