San Francisco Police Commission Approves Drone Rules; General Surveillance Banned, Video Kept 30 Days
San Francisco is a city in San Francisco County, California (a consolidated city-county). San Francisco media reported that the city's Police Commission voted on October 14 at City Hall to approve new rules for police drones. The rules allow drones to be used when a public safety response is called for, and prohibit general surveillance; they also set terms for drone use at protests.
On retention, drone video is generally kept for 30 days; footage capturing evidence of a crime may be held for two years. Before the vote, opponents of police drones spoke on the City Hall steps, saying the technology threatens privacy and increases the militarization of police.
Supporters told the commission that drone cameras have helped track down and capture people engaged in theft, robbery and assaults on the street. Other commenters said the policy language is vague and lacks sufficient limits on how drones are deployed and how their data is stored and shared. The vote breakdown was not reported.
Sources: KTVU Fox 2, October 14, 2026; San Francisco Police Commission meeting.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 旧金山市景全景实景。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，King of Hearts 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0 授权
