A bill to regulate the use of commercial spy drones in St. Louis is headed to the full Board of Aldermen.
Board Bill 199, which was passed out of committee today, was introduced by Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier to “impose community-based safety regulations and restrictions on the operation of drones.”
Sonnier introduced the bill after SMS Novel, a drone surveillance company that markets itself on X (formerly known as Twitter) as specializing in interactive Christian films, announced its plans to launch surveillance drones over the city and was met with community outcry.
The company charges a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 to anyone who wants to access the drone’s livestream. However, the feed is only accessible from 3 to 5 p.m. each day.
The company claims it launched its drones over the city at an undisclosed location on February 5.
Board Bill 199 contains a clause that could shutdown SMS Novel’s surveillance program.
It says: “No person, entity, or state agency shall use a drone to conduct surveillance or observation of any individual or privately owned property held by an individual without the express written consent of that individual or property owner.”
The clause excludes journalists, police and those who fly drones recreationally and don’t make a profit off their surveillance.
The bill was passed by the board’s public safety committee with no opposition and only a few minor changes. The changes included: re-adding a provision requiring permission to fly over city-permitted events, clarifying that all first responders are exempt from these restrictions, and amending the penalty provision to remove language classifying violations as a misdemeanor and instead keeping the level of offense at a citation.
The policy director for Mayor Tishaura Jones' office, Casey Millburg, testified at the meeting and said the mayor supports the bill and looks forward to signing it.
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