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REGULATORY WATCH BRIEF Low 32 📋 Proposed Regulation proposed

San Francisco Police Department proposes expanded drone surveillance policy, drawing criticism from EFF

The proposed SFPD drone policy could enable widespread surveillance without adequate privacy protections, raising civil liberties concerns.

ADTP Regulatory Watch · September 28, 2026 · San Francisco Police Commission
ImpactLow 32
Type📋 Proposed Regulation
Statusproposed not law
JurisdictionUS-CA

What happened

The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has issued a new proposed policy that would allow broader use of drones for public safety and patrol. The policy has been criticized by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other groups for lacking clear safeguards and definitions. The Police Commission will consider the revised policy on October 14.

Why it matters for trust and compliance

  • Its status is proposed. It is not law yet. Track it, but do not treat it as an obligation.
  • The proposed SFPD drone policy could enable widespread surveillance without adequate privacy protections, raising civil liberties concerns.

Who is affected

government controller deployer San Francisco Police Department San Francisco Police Commission Electronic Frontier Foundation San Francisco Public Defender’s Office

Recommended actions

  1. Review consent, cookie and tracking practices against the requirement.
  2. Check that privacy notices describe the practices this addresses.
  3. Map the security requirements to existing controls and close gaps.