Drones, of sizes small and large, are becoming increasingly common all around the globe. Being commercially available, they also pose a significant security threat. This was manifest in a campaign rally lead by the German Chancellor when a drone hovered in front of her for some time and then crashed at her feet.
On September 15, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was leading a campaign rally and sitting at the stage when a drone flew near the stage. It hovered near the stage for some instances before finally crashing. The drone was being flown by a Pirate Party activist who wished to register his protest over government surveillance.
According to the deputy head of Pirate Party, Markus Barenhoff, “The goal of the effort was to make Chancellor Merkel and Defense Minister de Maiziere realize what it’s like to be subjugated to drone observation.”
The incident does successfully highlight what kind of security threats and privacy violations can be posed with the use of drones. For instance, if the drone that was used in the aforementioned campaign rally was equipped with a grenade or some other harmful substances, it could have lead to a tragedy.
Researchers, too, have discussed the issue of drones extensively and in many reports, these nifty flying devices are cited as security hazards, given the virtually infinite possibilities of the things that could be done with the help of them. Although the Pirate Party activist who was operating the said drone was arrested, he was soon released.
Courtesy: Arstechnica
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