I was interested to read recently that the news channel, CNN, has reached an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration in America that will allow it to use drones for news gathering.  One cannot just fly a drone around in a public area without getting permission and it is significant that this group has now obtained permission to have unmanned aircraft with cameras attached.  No doubt they will have to be very tightly controlled because although they could produce very interesting and informative news, for example of traffic congestion in the area or of people attending events, they may not be ideally suited to more dangerous situations.  

One only has to think about the recent incident with terrorists in France and how it would certainly complicate things for the police if for example you had media drones flying around the warehouse in which the terrorists were finally tracking, while the operation was still under way.  That type of coverage would obviously lead to the terrorists or criminals being given excellent footage while they sit inside the building, of who is outside it, where the forces are situated, and more than likely be able to ascertain from which angle they are likely to attack.  It is one thing for the FAA to give permission, but it is another thing to regulate the use and that is undoubtedly going to be something that would need to be tightly controlled because as much as we would like to see the action, step by step as it unfolds, it may just make things a lot harder, not only for the police, but for potential hostages caught up in such situations.