Any Drone Pilot in Florida needs to contact Govenor Rick Scott's Office today and tell him that you do not agree with the Senate Bill 766. This would be a bad law! We need to call today because the bill passed the house and senate and will go to the govenor to sign. PLease be polite and state how this bill would be very bad for businesses that want to capture real estate. This is very important and your voice needs to be heard!

Here is the link for SB766 please read it and call now!!!!
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session ... /BillText/Filed/PDF


http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/

We have to unite against bad legislation. I can not stress enough how important your email and or call is right now. If this law passes, it will create a climate where someone could sue you for taking a real estate video or photo if your video or photo captures their house or them say in their backyard.


Regards,

I agree.
So, how does this affect "Google Earth" which has fairly clear photos of your property?
Seems this has not been completely thought out. What's the difference in photographing a property from 6 ft. off the ground or 50 ft in the air. the chances of capturing some of the neighbors home on both side are about 100%.

Thanks for posting. I emailed him opposing!

I am sorry, but this bill is pretty clearly trying to lay out the fact that they don't want people eavesdropping on people using drones.  This is actually a good bill in my opinion as it applies to both public and private entities.

This will be an interesting illustration on how unimportant and powerless the average person is in the political process.
I have sent an email in opposition.

gorillafingaz@h Posted at 2015-4-29 22:53
I am sorry, but this bill is pretty clearly trying to lay out the fact that they don't want people e ...

I think the wording is too open ended and open to interpretation.
A person could be engaged in innocent photography and accused of invasion of privacy and be liable to legal action.

Once the novelty of flying over your house and taking video subsides, take your drone to a public area and fly it.      I think people are paranoid about a drone over their home.  I would be.   If is just sat there, I'd get my pellet gun.   Just saying, don't pester people.

Just an update I called the Governor's Office. Their phone number is 850-717-9337. PLease Please Please be polite. They were very nice to talk to. I explained our position with respect the business operators in Florida that want to use drones  for Real Estate photography and how it would cripple our business and expose us to civil suits. Also how it creates and an unequal playing field with respect to Helicopter and UAV photography.

Also I told her that the cameras are not such that you can zoom right into peoples windows etc. and of course if someone used a drone to do that that would be a peeping tom situation.

The call only took 5 min and they were positive to my comments. again please call and be professional and polite. We have to stand up for our right to use UAVs for photography. If you want  you can just leave a message by selecting option 2 during the phone call.

Thank you for all your help!

gorillafingaz@h Posted at 2015-4-29 22:53
I am sorry, but this bill is pretty clearly trying to lay out the fact that they don't want people e ...

I respect your opinion, but my fear is that it will cripple those of use who want you use UAV's for Real Estate photography. It opens the door for us to be civilly sued if while in the process of doing real estate photography I capture their property.

Helicopters can take aerials without restrictions but if this law passes I in a UAV could get in trouble.
I agree no one should take a drone and fly it right in someone's back yard and spy on them, but the law is ambiguous.
There is such a misconception with the public on Drones/ UAVs and their capabilities. That when they see one up in the air the automatically assume someone is spying on them. Then they call the police and with this law in place we could be sued if my footage had their home in it.

ntfa@sbcglobal. Posted at 2015-4-29 23:15
Once the novelty of flying over your house and taking video subsides, take your drone to a public ar ...

I am concerned with commercial use, not someone that got a drone for Christmas and is flying in their backyard. I agree that they should go to a public place. Also, as a commercial operator I would try and be proactive and notify a neighbor of an adjacent house that I was photographing for a job.

There needs to be some middle ground.

I see your point.   And support you.

ntfa@sbcglobal. Posted at 2015-4-30 00:06
I see your point.   And support you.

Relax.

surveillance noun

1.
a watch kept over a person, group, etc., especially over a suspect, prisoner, or the like:
The suspects were under police surveillance.
2.
continuous observation of a place, person, group, or ongoing activity in order to gather information:
video cameras used for covert surveillance.
See also electronic surveillance.
3.
attentive observation, as to oversee and direct someone or something:
increased surveillance of patients with chronic liver disease.

ah Florida does it again

I watched this last night. Pretty funny when they mention that the drone could have a gun.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news ... back-yards/32820188

vmp Posted at 2015-5-8 10:14
I watched this last night. Pretty funny when they mention that the drone could have a gun.

http://w ...

Sigh

It is idiotic to fly down into peoples gardens. Obviously. But any private plane or helicopter can have cameras - even with huge zoom-lenses.

We don't need more laws (like these bozo-news-anchors (are they called that because they should be dropped in the water to hold a boat in place?) seem to advocate.

We need less laws. And people acting according to common sense. Everybody has a phone, people can be taking pictures anywhere. Regular privacy laws apply - you can't publish something "private".

Can't we all just... get along?

Invasion of privacy is ALREADY illegal...no need for MORE laws. Anybody with a digital DSLR and a 400mm lens can be MUCH more invasive of privacy (and do so silently) than almost any drone is, yet nobody is clamoring for laws against 400mm lenses, are they?

Yep. There is still time to reach out to the Governor.  Please spread the word and give him your opinion on the matter! We as a community need to stick together.