Robert
Mueller tells Congress bureau uses drones in a 'very, very minimal way' as
senators describe 'burgeoning concern'
guardian.co.uk,
Dan Roberts in Washington, Wednesday 19 June 2013
FBI director Robert Mueller said: 'It is worthy of debate and legislation down the road.' Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP |
The FBI has
admitted it sometimes uses aerial surveillance drones over US soil, and
suggested further political debate and legislation to govern their domestic use
may be necessary.
Speaking in
a hearing mainly about telephone data collection, the bureau's director, Robert
Mueller, said it used drones to aid its investigations in a "very, very
minimal way, very seldom".
However,
the potential for growing drone use either in the US, or involving US citizens
abroad, is an increasingly charged issue in Congress, and the FBI acknowleged
there may need to be legal restrictions placed on their use to protect privacy.
"It is
still in nascent stages but it is worthy of debate and legislation down the
road," said Mueller, in response to questions from Hawaii senator Mazie
Hirono.
Hirono
said: "I think this is a burgeoning concern for many of us."
Dianne
Feinstein, who is also chair of the Senate intelligence committee, said the
issue of drones worried her far more than telephone and internet surveillance,
which she believes are subject to sufficient legal oversight.
"Our
footprint is very small," Mueller told the Senate judiciary committee.
"We have very few and have limited use."
He said the
FBI was in "the initial stages" of developing privacy guidelines to
balance security threats with civil liberty concerns.
It is known
that drones are used by border control officials and have been used by some
local law enforcement authorities and Department of Homeland Security in
criminal cases.
Mueller
said he wasn't sure if there were official agreements with these other agencies.
"To
the extent that it relates to the air space there would be some communication
back and forth [between agencies]," Mueller said.
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