Drones have become essential to the American way of war. They’ve given the military nearly constant surveillance from the sky and allow for quick attacks from afar. And now, like countless other technologies forged in the heat of battle, drones are making their way to the home front, pressed into civilian service. Call them drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, or remote-control planes; these high-tech devices have appealed to Border Patrol and local law enforcement, but also to conservationists, journalists, hobbyists, and more. How do we decide who gets to have their own set of eyes in the skies? What does it mean for your privacy and safety if your neighbors get their own drone?
Join us in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 7, for “The Drone Next Door,” a discussion about the use of drones within the United States. Speakers will include Slate national corresopndent William Saletan; Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; representatives from the World Wildlife Fund, the ACLU, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Baltimore County Police Department; professors from MIT, Arizona State University, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and journalists from the Guardian, Washingtonian, and the New York Times.
The event will be held at the New America Foundation’s headquarters. To view the agenda and to RSVP, visit the New America Foundation website.
Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, the New America Foundation, and Arizona State University.
