The Trump administration is asking Congress to give the federal government sweeping powers to track, hack and destroy any type of drone over domestic soil with a new exception to laws governing surveillance, computer privacy and aircraft protection, according to a document obtained by The New York Times.
The document is a 10-page draft and summary of legislation the executive branch circulated among several congressional committees on Tuesday, according to a congressional aide.
The government has expressed growing concern about the proliferation of small drones—including several that have flown over sporting events and one that crash-landed over the White House fence in 2015—and the potential for terrorists to use them to carry bombs or other weapons into secure areas.
The draft bill’s language would authorize the government to summarily track, seize control of and use force to destroy any unmanned aircraft it determines may pose a security threat to an area designated for special protection.
Implementation of this proposal could potentially have an effect on the road and bridge construction industry, as it is becoming more common to use UAVs for work involving road and bridge construction projects and inspections.
