First-responder drones are spreading rapidly across the US, and privacy groups are worried

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A hot potato: We've been seeing reports for several years now about public safety agencies launching drone-as-first-responder (DFR) initiatives, but the programs have really exploded in popularity recently, and the digital rights organization EFF says this threatens privacy in communities. The drones are able to spy on people through windows, in their backyards, and on roofs, at distances so great that the subjects are unaware they're being watched.

The EFF writes that as of February 2026, over 1,000 public safety agencies, including police, fire, and other emergency management agencies, had received the FAA waivers needed to automate drone operations and launch a DFR program.

The FAA streamlined and sped up the process of obtaining a waiver in April 2025, which led to a huge increase in the number issued. Only 976 DFR waivers...

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