Drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems

This book tackles the regulatory issues of
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or Remotely-Piloted
Aerial Systems (RPAS), which have profound consequences for privacy, security and
other fundamental liberties. Collectively known as “drones,” they were initially deployed for military purposes:
reconnaissance, surveillance and extrajudicial executions. Today, we are witnessing a
growth of their use into the civilian and humanitarian domain. They are
increasingly used for goals as diverse as news gathering, aerial inspection of oil refinery flare
stacks, mapping of the Amazonian rain-forest, crop spraying and search and
rescue operations. 

The civil use of drones is becoming a
reality in the European Union and in the US.The drone revolution may be a new
technological revolution. Proliferation of the next generation of “recreational” drones show
how drones will be sold as any other consumer item. The cultural perception of the
technology is shifting, as drones are increasingly being used for humanitarian activities, on
one hand, but they can also firmly be situated in the prevailing modes of postmodern
governance on the other hand.   

This work will be of interest to
researchers in Criminology and Criminal Justice interested in issues related to
surveillance, security, privacy, and technology. It will also provide a
criminological background for related legal issues, such as privacy law,
aviation law, international criminal law, and comparative law.