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Reality TV drones an “invasion of privacy”

Adelaide resident reports a Seven-hired drone to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, claiming an invasion of privacy.

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An Adelaide resident has reported a drone used for a Seven renovation reality series to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, claiming its use above his property was an invasion of privacy.

Millswood resident ‘John’ told ABC Radio, “I was surprised to find there was quite a large obviously commercial drone hovering over my property.

“It seemed to me that private backyards shouldn’t be exposed in that way to people randomly just turning up with drones and using cameras over their houses.”

He claims the operators refused to provide any information at all for at least 10 minutes.

A representative from the program contacted him later to explain the reasoning for the footage and apologised for the lack of notice.

“The program location supervisor had a civil conversation with the resident yesterday and the camera operator was licensed,” a Seven spokesperson said.

But John said there had been no residents’ notice of the camera’s operations.

“People flying them should be more closely regulated and people’s privacy rights, in domestic-residential situations, should be better protected,” he said.

14 Responses

  1. SusanP I don’t think its a ‘privilege’ peering into people’s backyards? News crews are not allowed to film on private property without permission? Why would it ever be okay to film through a residents windows without permission? I think this person has identified a very real loophole in our privacy laws, not to mention the fact that in Adelaide it is legal to grow marijuana in your backyard …

  3. yeh i wonder what he thinks everytime a news chopper flys overhead…. its nothing new… its happeneing alot more frequent… as the options are alot cheaper… unless this guy is an ex chopper pilot and just upset he’s out of a job…

    1. You’re not heard the news report about the man just west of Sydney? He rings the aviation authority any time he hears a plane. He literally makes thousands of calls each year to them.

  5. Under Australian law you have no air rights above your property except those inherited from British Common Law to allow your reasonable use and enjoyment of your land. You don’t have any right to stop aerial photographs and anything above 500 ft is usually considered public space for aviation.

    Privacy would only involve publishing personal information that wasn’t justified by public interest. Taking obscene images is banned in most states.

    If they buzz you at low level you could sue for trespass. And if they keep flying over your property you can get an injunction to stop them on the grounds of nuisance.

    If you shoot down the drone that is malicious damage.

    Talking to them instead of yelling about rights that it “seems” you should hold is probably not the most productive approach.

  6. I regularly participate in Tomnod campaigns but I am very conscious of the privilege of peering into people’s backyards etc. I’m a privacy nut so I don’t blame him for complaining and I have wondered about drones and the laws regulating them. I guess we’re at least lucky not to have the drones used around Pakistan etc.

  7. whats really amazing about this story is some one is actually making a production in Adelaide !! I thought that all stopped when Here’s Humphrey finished up.

    1. Google Earth isn’t live and there’s not much risk of the camera platform running out of batteries/fuel or being operated incompetently and crashing into your house.

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