The Regulation of the Recreational Use of “Drones” for Aerial Photography and Videography: Comparing Singapore’s Unmanned Aircraft Act with Other Legislation

• Main Author: CHEN, Siyuan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2015
• Subjects: Air and Space Law; Asian Studies; Law and Society; Privacy Law
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/1591; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sol_research/article/3543/viewcontent/Regulation_of_Drones_1_SLR.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

In the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of remote-controlled copters or “drones” by recreational users to capture aerial photographs and videos on an unprecedented scale. The convergence of cutting-edge technological developments in gyroscopic gimbals, long-range wireless transmissions, GPS-enabled stabilisation and flightpath-preprogramming, first-person-views, and compact digital imaging has led to the proliferation of these camera-carrying devices that even hobbyists can pilot with reasonable safety. However, there has been a consistent stream of public concern relating to issues of safety, privacy, and disruption of commercial interests. Lost in the paranoid cacophony is a question that warrants proper legislative reflection: how can these drones be regulated in a way that is proportionate and sensible? With Singapore’s recently enacted Unmanned Aircraft Act as the focal point, this article will compare and contrast the various regulations around the world to determine where the best balance has been struck between the freedom to create art and the purported competing demands of safety, privacy, and commercial interests.