Ever since the U.S. government began using unmanned drones to track and kill suspected terrorists in remote regions of Pakistan, the prospect of their widespread use domestically seemed like a remote possibility. For one thing, in the minds of much of the American public, drones are weaponsthe equivalent of flying bombs. For another, their use has sparked widespread criticism at home and abroad.
Congress, however, wasn’t much concerned about drones’ image problems. It passed a little-noticed bill in 2012 (signed by President Barack Obama) that clears the way for and encourages the use of drones, albeit in a more benign manner than they are used to target Islamic radicals. With the passage of the bill, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that more than 30,000 drones, some operated by law enforcement and others by private companies, could be inhabiting American airspace by 2020.
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