Editing Surveillance aircraft (section)

=== Applicable law ===
In the U.S., case law holds that airborne surveillance does not violate privacy rights protected under the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|14th Amendment of the Constitution]], so long as unmanned aircraft systems are not in "general public use".<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=West |first1=Jonathan P. |last2=Bowman |first2=James S. |date=July 2016 |title=The Domestic Use of Drones: An Ethical Analysis of Surveillance Issues |journal=Public Administration Review |language=en |volume=76 |issue=4 |pages=649–659 |issn=0033-3352 |doi=10.1111/puar.12506}}</ref> The lack of widespread use of such systems justifies individuals' reasonable expectations of privacy again this type of surveillance.<ref name=":1" />

In the European Union, Article 7 of the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union]] 2000 provides that people have a right of privacy and Article 8 protects the right to one's individual personal data. Under these provisions, aerial surveillance of public spaces would be lawful but surveillance of one's private home be subject to administrative oversight.<ref name=":1" />

The [[Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000|Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act]] (RIPA) of 2000 applies to air surveillance in the United Kingdom. RIPA prohibits large-scale and generalized surveillance, and RIPA authorization is required for individualized surveillance of private residences.<ref name=":1" />