Thirty-four colleges and universities applied for permission to fly unmanned surveillance drones over campuses across the U.S. in 2012, according to records obtained by a privacy watchdog group. The schools are citing plans for scientific research, but activists and privacy experts are concerned, Fox News reports.
Domestically, drone use has skyrocketed: More than 80 applications for drone-flying permits were filed with the Federal Aviation Administration in 2012, including more than 30 universities, the Electronic Frontier Foundation says.