To bolster privacy protections, the Department of Homeland Security’s tests of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) at Ft. Sill in Oklahoma uses test subjects and specific sites for initial photographic and monitoring capabilities and other techniques, according to the agency.
A privacy assessment of DHS’ Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s test site for the department’s Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety (RAPS) Program shows the systems being tested can take snapshots or still images by using screenshots of full motion surveillance video.
Those capabilities have raised some concerns among privacy rights advocates.
The testing program in Oklahoma is aimed at providing support to emergency responders in wildfires, floods and other natural disaster situations. Oklahoma was designated as the test site for the RAPS programme in 2010.
A privacy impact assessment issued by DHS on November 16 provides additional details of the RAPS work and precautions the programme has in place to protect the privacy people on the base and in surrounding areas.
The sUAS being tested at the facility include small aircraft, usually weighing 55 pounds or less, said the assessment. The aircraft can be programmed to fly on a prescribed flight path or manually controlled from the ground control station by the operators.
The aircraft are equipped with sensors and cameras that can capture images and transmit them to the ground control system (GCS) to provide aerial views of emergency situations and situational awareness. They are also programmed to be automatically turned off or to return to the point of lost communications connections, it said. Data collection and transmission continues as long as the connection to the GCS is active, though some systems have the ability to store data on the aircraft itself, it said.
The systems tested in the RAPS programme vary in size of the aircraft and camera resolution depending on the model of the aircraft and needs of the potential operational user. Some systems can take snapshots or still images by using screenshots of full motion surveillance video. Most systems include a date and time stamp on the footage captured and the cameras can capture latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates if needed.
According to the assessment, any data that contains imagery not related to the test activities — like non-volunteers or areas outside the testing perimeter — are deleted and are not used for the project. The images taken are not matched in any databases. The systems being tested are not capable of performing facial recognition.
Although the initial testing is being conducted at the Fort Sill U.S. Army post in Oklahoma, other U.S. military facilities may also be used for testing, said DHS. The sUAS test flights are limited to restricted airspace where tests and drills are already conducted — like firing ranges. The sUAS, said the assessment, don’t fly over or capture images of the living quarters, shopping areas, or any other public spaces at Fort Sill. All test volunteers receive notice and provide consent prior to participating in the tests; no members of the public are affected by these tests, it said.
Research participants volunteer to participate in the tests conducted at Fort Sill, it said and the RAPS team provides notice and obtains informed consent from the volunteers prior to the start of the study. By participating in the tests, volunteers understand that the sUAS can capture and transmit their images to the ground control system, it explained. If a sUAS incidentally capture images of private citizens or property, the images are immediately deleted by the RAPS team, in accordance with programme protocol, it said.
Prior to their participation, volunteers receive notice about the tests and provide informed consent, it said. The images captured during the tests are only used to evaluate the effectiveness of the sUAS. The images of volunteers may also be used in reports or presentations to demonstrate the sUAS capability. The images are not matched in any databases, used, or shared for any other purposes. The results of the sUAS tests are compiled into a final report, which may be distributed to the emergency responder community and used to support acquisition or purchasing decisions, said DHS.
Source: Government Security News