A frac sand company in Chippewa County wants charges brought against a man for using a drone to take pictures of its mine, in a case that could be an early test for a drone privacy law passed last year.
On May 9, Hank Boschen of Chippewa Falls was using his drone to take pictures of the Chippewa Sand Co. mine in the Town of Cooks Valley. It lost power and landed on mine property. In a written statement, Boschen said he then tried to get the drone back, but was told to leave.
Brian Nodolf, an attorney for Chippewa Sand, said they’re seeking charges for trespassing and illegal use of a drone under a recently passed state law meant to protect privacy.
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“Today it’s a sand company, tomorrow it could be an individual’s back yard. And where does that line get drawn?” he said.
State law says drones cannot be used to record people when they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. No drone related charges have been filed by the district attorney at this point.
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