POGO: “…Existing technology that is affordable and in wide use allows law enforcement to spy on individuals over huge distances. The most prominent example is the DJI Zenmuse Z30 camera, which can be affixed to commonly used drone models such as the Inspire 2 and the Matrice. Chinese manufacturer DJI, the drone maker most favored by U.S. law enforcement, promotes the Zenmuse Z30 by describing it as “the most powerful integrated aerial zoom camera on the market with 30x optical and 6x digital zoom for a total magnification up to 180x.” The implications of this are profound, and frightening. With this technology, law enforcement can use small and inconspicuous drones to snoop on individuals from thousands of feet away, and even watch activities occurring several miles away with a good degree of precision. In an aerial space, these drones can easily move to adjust view and overcome obstacles that make this type of long distance surveillance impossible from ground level. In addition to the surveillance powers modern drones possess in terms of long-distance monitoring, automated identification, and automated tracking, technological advances are making aerial surveillance an exponentially cheaper option, and thus something that can be done more broadly and on a larger scale. The Inspire 2 costs around $3,000, and equipping it with the powerful Z30 zoom camera costs an additional $3,000. In comparison, police helicopters cost roughly $500,000 to $3,000,000. The helicopter’s operating costs of $200 to $400 per hour and the maintenance costs increase the expense of this traditional aerial surveillance tool even more. With this cost differential, a department could potentially purchase a fleet of 500 drones in lieu of a single police chopper—a swarm of devices that can watch individuals without notice from thousands of feet away, use software to identify people in an automated manner, and follow them without human piloting. As technology improves, the potential power of this type of fleet will only increase, creating the possibility of a massive surveillance umbrella permanently buzzing over America’s cities and towns…”