The Future of Drone Use: Opportunities and Threats from Ethical and Legal Perspectives

Given the popularity of drones and the fact that they are easy and cheap to buy, it is generally expected that the ubiquity of drones will significantly increase within the next few years. This raises questions as to what is technologically feasible (now and in the future), what is acceptable from an ethical point of view and what is allowed from a legal point of view. Drone technology is to some extent already available and to some extent still in development.

The aim and scope of this book is to map the opportunities and threats associated with the use of drones and to discuss the ethical and legal issues of the use of drones. Also, the question of how to regulate the use of drones in the future is addressed, by considering conditions and contents of future drone legislation and by analyzing privacy and other safeguards that can be taken. Academics in several disciplines, such as law, ethics, sociology, politics and public administration, as well as practitioners and other people who may be confronted with the use of drones in their work, such as people working in the military, law enforcement, disaster management and infrastructure management should find the book of great value. Individuals and businesses with a specific interest in drone use are also part of the targeted audience.