The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 announced it has published guidelines to counter drone technology and protect privacy.
The “Counter-UAS Operations: Safeguarding Freedoms and Preserving Privacy” report provides a comprehensive guide to the sensor technologies used to detect and identify drone threats, as well as a guide to the legal framework for their use, officials with the task force said.
“Countering drones is not just a battlefield problem — it’s a homeland defense imperative,” Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401, said in a statement. “Our goal is to integrate sensors, effectors and mission command systems in a distributed network that protects service members and American citizens alike.”
Officials said the threat from unauthorized small unmanned aerial systems continues to evolve and the guide provides information about efforts to implement countermeasures while upholding privacy protections. The guide provides a look into passive and non-intrusive sensor technologies that allow security personnel to “maintain airspace awareness without interfering with civilian drone operations.”
“This guide is part of our commitment to transparency, ensuring that as we deploy these critical technologies, we do so in a way that is responsible, respects privacy, and maintains public trust,” Ross said.
The focus of the report is on how the systems operate and complying with the Federal Surveillance Law. The C-UAS systems, using a “signal fingerprint” can identify the type of drone and its location without infringing on the drone operators’ privacy, officials said.
“Our approach is to safeguard privacy by design,” Col. Scott Humr, deputy director of science and technology for JIATF-401, said. “The technologies we are fielding are engineered to be effective while adhering to strict privacy principles. By focusing on data minimization and secure handling processes, we collect only what is necessary to identify a potential threat. This allows us to protect critical infrastructure and public safety without compromising the civil liberties that we are sworn to defend.”