Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) explained several of the new legal and political challenges drones present policymakers Thursday on "Hardball."
Among the concerns cited by Feinstein was the fear drones could be used in such a way that compromises the privacy of "Hollywood luminaries:"
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Do you think, senator, that technology, and you and I have grown up with the dynamic, almost unbelievable exponential growth in what mankind can do with technology, is that playing to the paranoia in people - they think if we have the capability we're going to use it against average citizens who are of a different political persuasion for example? Is that why the far right is so nervous?
DIANNE FEINSTEIN: Well, I think the drone is a new technology. In some respects it's the perfect assassination weapon. It can see from 17,000 - 20,000 feet up in the air. It is very precise. It can knock out a room in a building if it's armed. It's a very dangerous weapon, and right now we have a problem. There are all these nations that want to buy these armed drones. I am strongly opposed to that. We have no regulation of drones in the United States in their commercial use. You can see drones some day hovering over the homes of Hollywood luminaries violating privacy. This question has to be addressed, and we need rules of operation on the border, by police, by commercial use, and also by military and intelligence use. So this is now a work in progress. We are taking a look at it on the Intelligence Committee trying to draft some legislation. The administration is looking at a rules playbook as to how these won't be used and how they will be used. So it's a very complicated subject of new technology, and I think we have to take a pause and get it right.
Full interview: