WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials are soliciting proposals to create six drone test sites around the country and asking the public to comment on proposed privacy protections.
The Federal Aviation Administration posted the solicitation online Thursday afternoon. The agency is required by a law enacted a year ago to develop sites where military and civilian drones can be tested in preparation for integration into U.S. airspace that's currently limited to manned aircraft.
The law also requires that the FAA allow civilian drones wide access to U.S. airspace by 2015, but the agency is behind schedule and it's doubtful it will meet the deadline.
Privacy advocates worry that widespread drone use will lead to a "surveillance society" in which the public is constantly monitored.
