The debate over the use of unmanned drones over U.S. skies

GUESTS:  BEN GIELOW and JAY STANLEY

In five years the Federal Aviation Administration estimates that there will be 7,500 commercially operated drones flying in the United States, and even more if you include public institutions. The idea of thousands of small unmanned vehicles zipping around the skies gathering audio and visual data raises privacy serious concerns for many people.  At the same, this technology can be an important tool for first responders like police and firefighters, and a harmless hobby for some. This hour, we’ll look at the domestic use of drones and the issues and questions that they raise.  Marty talks with JAY STANLEY, senior policy analyst with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, and BEN GIELOW, Government Relations Manager and General Counsel Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Photo: Interest in the domestic use of drones is surging among public agencies and private citizens alike, including a thriving subculture of amateur hobbyists, even as the prospect of countless tiny but powerful eyes circling in the skies raises serious privacy concerns. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)