Rep. Scott wants to ground domestic drones

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott introduced on Thursday new legislation designed to curb the proliferation of domestic surveillance drones.

The Ashburn congressman’s new bill, The Preserving Freedom From Unwarranted Surveillance Act, would subordinate drone surveillance to the same legal standards that control wiretaps and search warrants.

While the federal government is barred from gathering evidence by drone without a warrant, the legislation does include a number of surveillance carve outs, including a go-ahead to patrol U.S. borders in response to threats of terrorism.

- James Richardson