Mastodawn

Electronic Frontier Foundation

The FAA quietly imposed a nationwide drone restriction that prevents filming ICE and other federal agents within half a mile. It’s an attack on the First Amendment. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/faas-temporary-flight-restriction-drones-blatant-attempt-criminalize-filming-ice

The FAA’s “Temporary” Flight Restriction for Drones is a Blatant Attempt to Criminalize Filming ICE

Legal intern Raj Gambhir was the principal author of this post.The Trump administration has restricted the First Amendment right to record law enforcement by issuing an unprecedented nationwide flight restriction preventing private drone operators, including professional and citizen journalists,...

Electronic Frontier Foundation

EndicottRoad59 7h ago

@eff Can I predict a lawsuit in the near future?

Bill Zaumen 7h ago

@eff Just out of curiosity, how does a drone operator comply with this restriction if they don't publish the precise location of every "ICE and CBP vehicle"? If a drone was being used, for example, to inspect my roof, how would the operator know that an ICE vehicle was driving down the freeway less than 1/2 mile away?

KrissyKat 6h ago

I was thinking the same. Maybe ICE and CBP should make announcements where they'll be to give drone operators and the public the ability to follow the regulation.

@bzdev @eff You're not thinking of it with a fascist's mind. The dictator's storm troops will attack anyone they catch filming them anyway; this law just gives them legal coverage after the event. Saves the dictator from breaking out his thick Sharpie to issue a pardon.

contrasocial 5h ago

None of the half-assed shit they do has been thought out that far, they are simply interested in a creating a barrage of attacks on our civil liberties and hoping enough sticks to keep people afraid of holding them accountable.

DressToKILT 4h ago

@bzdev @eff the answer is that ICE is everywhere and if they want to arrest you for flying a drone, they will.

❣️u.s. pause federal tax remittances 2h ago

@bzdev maybe they will start wearing r.f.id's ? still masks and no name tags or license plates, but uniquely tagged. or maybe they will start getting microchipped. oh the ideas running around in my mind now...

miau!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3h ago

miau

Miss Gayle 2h ago

Which is why people need cameras in their eaves, roofs, and windows of their businesses and homes. Not hooked up to the internet, and not obvious.

Mx Verda 2h ago

@MissGayle @eff seeing this reply out of context, or even within context, is as suitably horrifying as everything else I've observed today.

Miss Gayle 2h ago

We are in a civil war a people don't seem to get it. Videos won't stop the violence. They'll just be evidence for the trials later.

Mx Verda 2h ago

@MissGayle @eff sounds reasonable to me. I don't have to like yet more cameras everywhere.

Biggles 20X6!20m ago

@MxVerda @MissGayle @eff my recent experience with drone footage is from the Ukrainian raptor unit.
Gotta say I would be chuffed to bits if footage like that showed up of ICE.

@martlund 🌲🐶🇸🇪🇨🇱🌈1h ago

@eff Well since the president doesn't have to follow he rules why should anybody else!

Linda Sgoluppi Artist 53m ago

@eff The answer to that is for absolutely everyone to film and publish.