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That’s why a right to privacy is so important. You never know what innocuous things anyone is looking out for.
Insurance companies are the scum of the earth. I'm sure Big Daddy Gov will put them in their place. /s
They are scum of the earth because they take advantage of their position to extract as much money from their customers and then deny legit claims by default and make making a claim as much of a pain in the ass for the policy holder as possible. But this is just standard insurance practice, if you don't want people looking at your stuff, don't ask them to insure it. Often a luxury only the rich can afford, but that's a separate problem.
The worst part is if the company fucks you, too bad so sad. But if you fuck them? Welcome to prison.
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This is clearly invasion of privacy. Just think about it. If insurance companies start collection you car data like at what speed you drive etc. They can cancel policy if we violate traffic laws. If they collect healthcare data they can cancel policy for abortion or drinking etc
If health insurance gets access to our DNA they could even know if there's a history of illness in your family, or how prone you are to drug/alcohol/cigarette addiction, and use that info to increase your rates. It's just one of the reasons why volunteering that data away freely to companies like 23andme is a terrible idea.
They do collect that on an opt in basis with the promise of additional discounts if you’re a good driver. Some give you a device you plug into your OBDII port, others get the telemetry directly from your car. I drive a Hyundai and I have the option of toggling on sharing anonymized driving data as well as a toggle to share your actual data with insurance companies for special offers.
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Wait, isn't this technically "criminal trespassing"?
IANALAIANYL. In the days before the internet, I had a family member who worked for an insurance company. Buried deep in the contract was language that allowed agents of said insurance company to come on the property at any time. Her job basically was to go to people's houses and walk around taking photos, usually at policy start or in the case of a claim - before and after. If anybody harassed her, they were at risk of having their home insurance dropped. This was Miami in the 1980s fwiw.
I've worked for companies that do this my entire professional career. They do work all over the US to this day. It's just standard property insurance practice. It'd be dumb to insure a property, for both damage and liability, sight unseen. They send many notifications via mail, automated phone and the worker directly calls before heading over there, no one wants to get shot. It surprises me a bit people don't know about it but, even though I've done work in the industry for decades, I've never see one of the inspectors at my house. I hadn't heard of anyone using drones yet but they've used bulk flyover images taken from planes with special cameras for at least 15 years.
Sounds like a good way to get shot in some states.
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You don't own the airspace over your property. The only way someone might get in trouble for flying a drone over your house is if they were looking in windows or harassing people somehow. Most pics from a drone aren't a lot different from satellite photography.
We actually do own the airspace over our houses. Not as high as planes or space, but a drone probably would from my skimming of this article.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/aviation.uslegal.com/ownership-of-airspace-over-property/%3famp
And there are still conditions under which drones can legally fly over your property without it being trespassing, similarly to airplanes:
An entry above the surface of the earth, in the air space in the possession of another, by a person who is traveling in an aircraft, is privileged if the flight is conducted[xi]:
- for the purpose of travel through the air space or for any other legitimate purpose,
- in a reasonable manner,
- at such a height as not to interfere unreasonably with the possessor’s enjoyment of the surface of the earth and the air space above it, and
- in conformity with such regulations of state and federal aeronautical authorities as are in force in a particular state.
I'm not a lawyer, but I do fly drones for fun and money. I can fly a drone over peoples' property no problem most of the time entirely legally. It's shitty in this particular case and fuck insurance companies but I don't think people claiming criminal trespassing is based in reality. You do not control the airspace above your property. I still hope they consult a lawyer and challenge this particular action against them.
I'm not a lawyer, nor do I have the full context of the legislation you're quoting, but my interpretation of that paragraph is that it only applies to aircrafts that are carrying passengers.
. . . in the air space in possession of another, by a person who is traveling in an aircraft, is privileged . . .
You're the one who does this for a hobby, though. I'm sure that you know the laws more than I do :)
Yeah maybe and perhaps one day there will be a case and a lawyer who will argue that same point.
Personally, until there are specific laws against flying over private property with specifics regarding altitudes I feel comfortable about flying drones above private property both professionally and recreationally. There have been some attempts by private entities and local governments to restrict public airspace for drones and so far I know really of NYC successfully being able to do so. Public airspace is public airspace and the FAA has been treating drones as aircrafts that need to follow their rules like all the other aircrafts using the airspace.
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I had my policy canceled for having a 15 year old roof, no heads up or chance to remediate any actual issues. Insurance companies are just dicking Californians because they hate being regulated.
Next week's article "Insurance company cancelled the policy of local reporter"
We only use fixed wing aircraft
Like a Predator drone? 🤔
Now fly a drone over their office to see if they like it
LOL! They might sue you for doing that.
I mean you can likely do that very easily and very legally and they likely would not care all that much.
In Australia some local councils use aerial photos to check for structures and developments without a permit. Built a new deck without the right paperwork, put in a big shed without approval, expect a knock on the door soon.
Australia is a surveillance state that's even worse then the US
I...love the logic of "I broke the rules and they got to know? HOW DARE THEY".
Like...this is so stupidly silly I can't. Like a child getting pissed off it was found out.
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Happens in the US, too. I know someone who got in trouble for building a shed that connected to their house by roof (covered walkway). Then the county came and inspected in person, and it turns out the shed was too large even on its own so they were dealing with that last I heard.
Well clearly this is illegal on so many levels
Unfortunately, not necessarily.
Which levels?
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this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2023
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