Unmanned aerial systems (uas or drones) and data protection: some reflections on recreational drones and their privacy impact
Edycja ANGIELSKI Nowadays, in order to fly a drone weighing less than 250 grams, it is not necessary to take any kind of exam or theoretical knowledge through the EASA, but simply to familiarise oneself with the user manual which, although it normally contains the flight instructions, does not contain references to data protection or its legislation. The problem may arise from the fact that the drone is considered a toy in accordance with Directive 2009/48/EC, and that it has sensors capable of capturing images. In addition, there is no minimum age requirement for remote pilots of these toys operating in subcategory A1 specified in Part A of the Annex to this Regulation with a class C0 UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) as defined in Part 1 of the Annex to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945; although twelve years is the age for pilots of mass up to 250 grams, which are not considered toys, for the use of UAS in subcategory A1, as provided for in section UAS.OPEN.020, Part A of the Annex to the Implementing Regulation. In this study we will analyse the privacy and data issues that affect the European and Spanish regulation on UAS.