Study on privacy, data protection and ethical risks in civil remotely piloted aircraft : summary for industry

The deployment of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS, actually an old 20th century technology) entails many benefits for European manufacturing and operating industries and citizens. The technology of RPAS applied to civil applications - commercial, noncommercial and governmental non-military - can contribute to boost industrial competitiveness, promote entrepreneurship and create new businesses in order to generate growth and jobs. Although RPAS are not new, there have been significant recent advances in their relative size, weight, the payloads they carry and, consequently, the novel and emerging applications for which they may be used. These developments, particularly in the "civil" sphere (i.e., commercial, non-commercial and government non-military), yield several potential benefits for European industry and its citizens. Specifically, the European RPAS Steering Group has argued "the emerging technology of RPAS... can contribute to boost industrial competitiveness, promote entrepreneurship and create new businesses in order to generate growth and jobs."