REMOTE-CONTROLLED drones that can record video footage are being sold in large retail stores, alarming privacy experts who say they could be used to spy on people.The drones sell for as little as $350, making them increasingly popular with the general public, and worrying those who believe the technology has the potential to be a peeping Tom in the sky.Associate Professor Kevin Heller from the Melbourne Law School says the idea that private citizens can buy drones and record footage directly onto smartphones had serious privacy implications.He said that while ''not everybody who buys these drones is a closet criminal … there are infinite mischievous possibilities''. ''It doesn't take a genius to imagine flying one over the neighbours' lawn and capturing photos of them nude,'' he said.Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim is cautious about the growing use of camera drones. ''It is concerning that this type of equipment can be easily purchased and used by individuals, potentially without any limitation on their use,'' said Mr Pilgrim, who recently wrote to the Attorney-General raising his concerns.

As Mr Pilgrim points out, under Australia's 1988 Privacy Act, private sector organisations with a turnover of less than $3 million are not subject to regulation, leaving plenty of scope for abuse.The situation has been exacerbated by the growth in DIY-drones available from hobby shops.parrot ar drone 2 mediamarktGuided by GPS and tiny autopilots, hobby drones now have the ability to fly for kilometres, providing sharp video vision directly back to the pilot.parrot ar drone satın alA spokesman for the Victorian government said the state was aware of the Australian Privacy Commissioner's concerns.microdrone md4-1000 specsVictoria Police is also concerned that drones could be used unlawfully.parrot ar drone le bon coin

Under the Surveillance Devices Act 1999, people are prohibited from knowingly using an ''optical surveillance device'' to record a private activity without consent.''There is concern regarding the use of these devices outside the law,'' a police spokeswoman said.''There is potential for possible breaches of the Surveillance Devices Act where operators of unmanned aerial vehicles do not comply with the provisions of 'private activity' as defined in the act.''parrot ar drone fiyatlarıIn the US, some operators are flying their drones for commercial purposes, whether they be journalists chasing a story or paparazzi chasing the ultimate bird's-eye celebrity shot. parrot ar drone john lewisPolice departments throughout the US are already using aerial drones for surveillance purposes.In May, Victoria Police confirmed it was assessing so-called unmanned aerial systems.

Harvey Norman stores began selling the Parrot AR. Drone 2.0, which can be controlled through a smartphone, late last year.On its website, the electronics retailer says the drone's camera allows its owners to ''see more with the clean, sharp image'' and ''record and share your flying experience''.Video footage and images can be shared instantly on social media such as YouTube.The executive director of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Australia, Peggy MacTavish, said people using drones were subject to privacy and public safety laws, including the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's regulations for unmanned systems.''Our membership ranges from the multinational corporations … right down to individuals who want to fly for recreation,'' she said. ''Even if it's recreational there are rules and regulations that apply.''Ms MacTavish confirmed that drones were increasingly being sold by Australian retailers, including at Melbourne Airport, and sales to private citizens were growing.

''They're everywhere,'' Ms MacTavish said.Harvey Norman's general manager of technology and entertainment, Ben McIntosh, said the retailer had not received any complaints about the sale of drones, which operated with a limited range - ''at best 50 metres''.''If ever there is a suggestion that these products are being misused, we have a responsibility to look into it,'' he said.Bayside City Council mayor Stephen Hartney said the council had not encountered any concerns about drones, but rapidly evolving technology was ''constantly creating new opportunities that have the possibility of encroaching our privacy''.''It is something that is very difficult to make laws against, let alone enforce. I think we all have to be mindful of each other's privacy and take responsibility for protecting what we value,'' he said.Scored a drone/quadcopter/flying camera rig for Christmas? Now how do you go about flying the damn thing without falling foul of Australia's flight feds at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority?

Here are the rules. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority, or CASA, looks after flying machines above our heads all around the nation. As a result, it's also responsible for setting the rules about the safe use of drones in Australia. CASA breaks down drone operations into two categories: commercial and civil/hobbyist use, with different rules for each. Updated December 2015, visit casa.gov.au/RPA for the latest. Under relaxed rules now delayed until 2016, drones under 2kg will no longer need approval from CASA before commencing flight operations in relation to commercial work. Commercial pilots still need to obtain their operator’s certificates, however. CASA will work on an expanded set of regulations for hobby and consumer-grade drones once the commercial weight approval rule has been implemented. These new rules will address things like flying drones beyond the operator’s line-of-sight, operating a drone in an airspace where other aircraft are flying and autonomous drones that require little to no input from operators to fly.

In general, don't think you can ignore the rules and get away with it. As one Queensland drone operator found out, posting video online that showed rules being broken resulted in a hefty $850 fine. CASA has been scouring YouTube for Aussie drone pilots breaking the rules in their aerial videos and issuing fines accordingly. You’ve graduated from your cheap beginner drone, and you want to try something new. Something that can shoot beautiful video from the sky — but doesn’t cost $1,000+ like a camera-equipped DJI Phantom. You spot the $720 Parrot Bebop Drone, and pull the trigger. It’s kind of fun, you think, between strings of obscenities. The Phantom 3 is here — and while it isn’t perfect, it blows the doors off the 2 Vision+. It’s a mighty sweet birdie. Learning how to fly a drone is scary. First of all drones are scary. They have a bad habit of falling out of the sky and into the stands of very important tennis matches. But flying in general is scary because, well, most people have never done it.

Yuneec makes it magically easy and safe. As things stand today, pivate operators don't need approval from CASA before taking flight with their drones, but there are some rules that need to be respected. • Stay at least 30 metres away from people with your drone. • Keep your drone under 120 metres (400 feet). • No night flying or flying through fog/cloud. You should be able to see the aircraft with your own eyes (rather than through point-of-view camera/screen/glasses) at all times. • You may not operate your drone above a large gathering of people (e.g.: fireworks, at sporting events, over crowds at the beach or groups of protesters). • You must keep your drone within sight while you're operating it. • You may not operate your drone within 5.5km of an airport and a place where planes take off or land from. CASA also reminds us that: • The privacy of other people should be respected by not flying near homes and backyards. • Never fly a drone in an active bushfire area as there is a real risk of a mid-air collision with a fire fighting aircraft, which could cause an accident.

Fire fighting aircraft will be grounded if a drone is conducting unauthorised flights on a fire ground, hampering work to control the fire and putting people and property at risk. • Drones should also be kept away from police operations, accident scenes, building fires and rescue operations. If you violate these rules, CASA can take action against you in the form of infringement notices (read: fines) up to $8500 per offence. If you put people at risk or seriously injure someone, the penalties are far more serious and will be dealt with on a case by case basis. For example, a private drone operator was allegedly using a quadcopter above a marathon race. The drone reportedly failed and struck a woman in the head causing serious injury. The CASA took the case before the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to see whether or not criminal charges could be laid against the operator. The CASA defines the commercial use of a drone as anything you're doing for hire or reward.

For example, if you're a production company strapping a camera to a drone for the purposes of gathering footage, or if you're flying something into the air to test it via a drone, that's commercial use. Before you can even get a drone remote in your hands for commercial purposes, CASA requires that pilots undergo a certification process in order to get an Operator's Certificate. That demonstrates that you can not only fly a drone safely, but also that you're aware of rules and regulations relating to drone flights in Australia. The regulations don't stop there, either: for any drone flights, commercial operators need explicit approval from CASA before you can even leave the ground with your flying machine. That approval involves filing several important documents with the regulator, including a flight plan and copies of your certifications. If a commercial entity is caught operating a drone without any of these things, the flight feds will can come down on you. For starters, they can revoke a a commercial entity's Operator's Certificate, which is kind of like having your driver's licence suspended as a taxi driver.

Drone operators can re-apply for their Operator's Certificate, but that request goes through the CASA which has the power to refuse or place conditions on any new permit. The CASA can also consider the use of infringement notices or criminal charges for commercial operators if offences are serious enough. In new rules now delayed until 2016: Australia's civil aviation safety body announced plans to slightly loosen the rules around commercial drone operation, making it easier for you to make a bit of money on the side from your drone photography or drone video business. Lightweight drones — those under 2 kilograms, which would include the popular combination of DJI Phantom 3 plus a GoPro or other compact video camera setup — will be allowed to be operated by commercial drone pilots or companies undertaking commercial work, without having to apply and be granted a commercial drone operation licence. For companies and operators to be exempt from those licencing requirements, though, the drones they operate will have to follow the same rules as recreational users: