Drone Controversies: Ethical and Legal Debates Surrounding Targeted Strikes and Electronic Surveillance

Details and specs

This book examines the legal implications of employing drones, which are flown autonomously, or by remote control, without a pilot onboard. For a small fraction of the price of an airplane or helicopter, drones can fly through hazardous areas without risking human lives, provide detailed information about people and things far below, and flutter past traffic jams to deliver packages on time.

It is estimated that by the year 2020, as many as 30,000 drones will be occupying national airspace in the United States alone. This is one of the only books to date that considers the ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of drones by government, industry, and individuals within the United States. It provides up-to-date information about the current domestic and international regulatory framework governing the private and public use of drones for military, commercial, and recreational purposes.

Some important topics of discussion include:

• Jus ad bellum Do the strikes violate national sovereignty
• Jus ad bellum Are the strikes lawful under the UN Charter
• Jus ad bellum Do the strikes constitute a valid exercise of self-defence
• Jus in bello Do the strikes provide for noncombatant immunity
• The omnipotent gaze Domestic drones & the law of privacy and surveillance
• An overview of the commercial drone industry
• Progress toward integrating drones into the National Airspace System (NAS)