Protect your privacy: A guide to avoiding drone surveillance

I share a ton of tips to protect your privacy online. Do this quick 30-second check to keep your Google and Facebook accounts safe if you haven’t yet.

What about when you leave your home? Just about everywhere you go, you’re being watched.

Not all cameras are out in the open, either. I once found more than a dozen cameras in an Airbnb I rented. Here are my best tips for spotting hidden cams in a rental, new apartment, home, or hotel room. But now we have drones to deal with.

I spy with my eye a drone in the sky

The other day, I heard a familiar buzz while swimming in my backyard pool. Sure enough, a drone hovered overhead and quickly vanished when I shooed it away with my hand. That’s how I got the idea for this post.

The legality of drone surveillance varies by country and state, but if the drone is flying on your private property and recording you without your consent, call the police. It’s a violation of your privacy.

It’s challenging to learn who owns a drone. In my case, it flew out of my eyesight in seconds. Had my iPhone been within reach, I would have taken a photo of the drone. Some drones have their registration numbers visible, usually in case the owner loses sight of it.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintains a database of drone owners who have registered their drones with the FAA. To search the FAA drone owner database, you need the drone’s registration number. Here’s where to search the FAA drone owner database.

The things you should never do to a drone

There are effective, perfectly legal ways to avoid surveillance. There are also a few ways that are illegal for private citizens.

The Federal Aviation Administration legally protects drones from being:

  • Shot at: Firing a gun into the sky is dangerous and illegal. Just don’t do it.
  • Interfered physically: This includes lasers and other objects.
  • Disabled or otherwise tampered with: Using a jammer and hacking are criminal acts.

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Pro tip: Check the internet reliability before you move

Bill Gates once said, “The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.” Internet is such an integral part of our lives that not having access can become quite the sticky wicket.

Most people forget that your internet reliability can differ significantly depending on where you live, who your provider is, and what equipment you’re using. If you have good internet now, what happens if you move?

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Your Netflix subscription can raise your credit score - here's how

A solid credit score is important for so many aspects of modern living. From purchasing cars to qualifying for an apartment, a high credit score gives you a distinct advantage that can make your life easier. A low score, on the other hand, means certain purchases and events will cost you more money in the long run.

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