No spying with a drone in Washington state

Washington state lawmakers passed a series of bills Wednesday making it a misdemeanor for a citizen to spy on another citizen with an unmanned aerial systems. This is similar to current California state law, but California law includes a civil fine of $5,000-$50,000 on top of the perpetrator being held liable three times the amount of any damages and any profit received from the breach of privacy. The Washington state House of Representatives voted 94-3, the bills had other provisions restricting government purchasing and use of UAS. Washington governmental agencies must receive legislative approval to purchase UAS and would need a warrant to use them in non-emergency situations. Lawmakers claim that the bill was introduced due to the explosion of drone sales during the holiday season.

Source: CBS Seattle

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