As drones become more widely available to consumers, public perception of drones is also changing, as people become more informed.
In 2015, a survey conducted by Risk Analysis, an international journal, found that the Australian public held a relatively neutral attitude towards drone technology.
Respondents did not see the technology as overly unsafe, threatening, or beneficial. However, the paper made clear that “as public knowledge increases, the current position is likely to change”.
Drone Use in Recent Years
The past several years have seen a large increase in drone use, with everything from drone deliveries by large multinational companies like Amazon, to the rather amusing case of the man who was fined $9000 for using a drone to pick up a Bunnings sausage.
However, the widespread availability of drones with recording capability has also raised significant concern, especially over personal privacy.
As one of the pioneer batch of RMIT’s drone journalism program, we spoke to random respondents to determine public opinion on the technology.
Michael, a final year Photography student who declined to provide his last name, said his primary concern was how people might use it to infringe on privacy.
Adrian Bower, a Mechanical Engineering degree holder and drone hobbyist, shared similar worries.
However, both were comfortable with the amount of legislative oversight. As with all other laws, it was up to the individual to abide by them and make sure they were not committing any illegal acts.
Michael’s opinion on current legislation controlling drones.
Adrian shares his thoughts on Victorian legal oversight of drone use.
The idea that drones might fly over private property, or observe people in a public space, rightly makes people uncomfortable. However, this issue extends beyond the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), and ties in to Australia’s lack of a privacy tort, and the lack of legal means to pursue anti-social drone operators.
Public Reaction to Drones
We decided to test public reaction to a drone flight in an open area.
On our test flight of the drone, surprisingly few people noticed it, and none of them were bothered enough to relocate, or upset enough to approach the operator.
Our drone camera hovers in the Alumni Courtyard fronting RMIT’s Old Gaol.
Adrian believes that much like the introduction of the internal combustion engine, the norms governing the use of drone technology will eventually be smoothed out over time.
