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Privacy in the Digital Age...

Discussion in 'YachtForums Yacht Club' started by Beau, Mar 28, 2018.

  1. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    YEP!!
  2. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    And now we have cameras set up in hotel rooms and Airbnb. And then those taking photos in dressing rooms of fitness centers. That's on top of drones used to take photos in windows.

    The Airbnb for instance in most jurisdictions is just a misdemeanor. It only turns into a felony when disseminated or if someone less than a certain age. Even then very difficult to prosecute. I can see Airbnb defense now being "sorry, we have security cameras for when it's empty and forgot to turn those off when you checked in."

    We've had the dressing room cameras and peepholes for decades. It's just technology has enhanced the ability to invade.

    Then you get into battles on the "expectation of privacy." Do I have it 10 miles out to sea and on the flybridge? What about in my backyard at home? Even in a fitness center dressing room, do I? Look at famous people escaping to very private beaches and then bring photographed topless without their knowledge.

    Just one more area our laws haven't kept up with our technology and another area in which all our states having different laws makes it far more difficult to ever catch up. It's like laws on taping conversations and phone calls that differ in every state. Florida is a "two party consent" state on audio recordings. That's gotten a lot of people in trouble. Now, Video is allowed unless in areas where privacy expected. So, it's fine to have video cameras recording throughout your house and on your property but if they have audio then they become illegal.
  3. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Hypothetical> Suppose you put an awning up so your wife and children can lounge beneath the cover. SHOULD a drone operator have the right to drop to the side of the awning for what is a private family gathering and film away. How about hovering outside your window in a hi rise?

    I realize that security concerns have reduced our expectation of privacy and I accept that. But when my daughter and friends are privately lounging in bathing suits under an awning, that seems to be crossing a barrier for me. We have all seen how celebrities are harassed - but I'm really not of interest to anyone....or shouldn't.

    Maybe there is someone on the forum who knows the extent of these privacy laws and how we can better protect our selves.
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
  4. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    Florida has drone laws. The relevant one prohibits the use of a drone to capture an image of privately owned property or the owner, tenant, or occupant of such property without consent if a reasonable expectation of privacy exists. or purposes of this section, a person is presumed to have a reasonable expectation of privacy on his or her privately owned real property if he or she is not observable by persons located at ground level in a place where they have a legal right to be, regardless of whether he or she is observable from the air with the use of a drone.

    So, by that in FL, if you can be seen by people not on your property at ground level then you have no expectation. If it requires flying a drone to photograph or see you, then they've violated.

    Now, unfortunately, the only remedy is civil suit. There is no criminal act for which they can be arrested. Note one other thing missing from the law. When it says observable by persons at ground level, does it mean by the naked eye or using binoculars or using telescopes?

    And that's just FL. Every state is different.
  5. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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  6. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Its a hodge podge! 30 years ago if someone lifted a camera over my fence. I'd grab it and step on it - today I'd be a felon?
  7. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    You have no idea how many times in the Bahmas the thought has crossed my mind to shoot down an annoying drone with a 12 gauge...….then the felon thought comes to mind immediately after the first thought!
  8. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    So what do we do. I'm not ordinarily a rebel. My daughter and her friends like to stretch out on the forward deck for sun as we go over to Connecticut for a nice lunch. I am opposed to a drone being legally able to follow us taking videos all the way.

    I do realize there are commercial interests for photo ops on a new megayacht - but my common little boat - not so much. Also when the owner's is aboard that mega yacht? comon'
  9. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Design something to solve that issue, and you'll be a billionaire!
  10. MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    Someone needs to create a jammer similar to the ones they use on cell phones. Install it on your bridge, problem solved.
    Only problem is it's not all that easy to isolate just the drone and not everything else.
  11. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Help me I'll be glad to be half a billionaire?

    Went down today for spring commissioning - my blood pressure drop 20 points at least. I pinch myself every day