Video - Customs and Border Patrol agency has considered equipping its fleet of domestic Predators with “non-lethal” weapons.

Video - Customs and Border Patrol agency has considered equipping its fleet of domestic Predators with “non-lethal” weapons. HT: Slate.

The expansion of drones into domestic airspace continues to raise unresolved privacy and civil liberties questions, particularly as military-style drones like the Predator are capable of flying beyond sight at high altitude, carrying powerful cameras that can zoom in and covertly monitor the ground below. Recently disclosed documents have compounded these concerns, revealing that the Customs and Border Patrol agency has considered equipping its fleet of domestic Predators with “non-lethal” weapons and eavesdropping equipment to pick up phone calls on the ground below. (The FBI did not disclose in its letter to Paul whether it uses large military-style drones like the Predator, or smaller, commercially available drones like the Octocopter.)Read the full story here.