A new campaign is calling for a ban on the NYPD's use of drones. The campaign is using #NoDroneSpyingNY to generate awareness, and it supports a bill introduced by State Senator Jessica Ramos.
The bill effectively bans law enforcement from using drones for recording or collecting data on the general public within open spaces. That includes parks, concert-spaces and protests.
The bill also would severely restrict any governmental use of drones without a warrant, and ban the use of facial recognition.
It would apply to government agencies as well as private government contractors.
"By banning law enforcement’s indiscriminate use of drones to spy on people in the public spaces and requiring police to provide a warrant when using drones, we can better protect people’s privacy while providing proper supervision over law enforcement,” Ramos, who represents parts of Queens, said in a statement..