Drone operations in Vietnam might be subjected to more rigorous supervision in the future.
According to Tuoi Tre, Colonel General Phan Van Giang, deputy minister of national defense, issued a document urging local authorities to be more thorough in monitoring unmanned flying devices, especially drones that are capable of audio and visual recording.
Giang warned that the use of these devices have become complicated recently as they gain popularity among hobbyists. He noted that many drone users do not seek prior permission and even fly their device over confidential zones.
“Opposing forces can take advantage of such activities to capture images and videos, which may be aimed at distorting the truth or spreading propaganda,” he said in the document, “and to deploy explosives and harmful substances.”
However, Giang didn’t clarify what exactly qualifies as “opposing forces.”
Therefore, the ministry requests that local authorities tighten their control over the production, sale, ownership, and operation of drone as well as how they’re imported into the country.
Vietnam’s drone swarm didn’t flourish until a few recent years. In August 2015, the Ministry of Defense came up with a set of regulations that require owners of unmanned aerial devices to apply for a flying permit.
The defense ministry requested in the dispatch that local authorities tighten their management of the production, sale, ownership, and operation of camera drones.
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