HB 539 attempts to significantly broaden an already sufficient part of Idaho Code that authorizes law enforcement use of unmanned aircraft systems – drones. The bill would allow law enforcement to use drones, without consent or a warrant for public safety or exigent circumstances, which casts a large net of available opportunities for law enforcement to conduct surveillance on Idahoans without their knowledge. Read full text of HB 539 here.
Instead, the ACLU recommends that drones should only be deployed by law enforcement agencies with a warrant, in an emergency, or when there are specific grounds to believe that the drone will collect evidence relating to a specific criminal act.
