They fly, take pictures, can be operated remotely and even come with an auto-pilot feature to land safely in case their owner gets distracted.

The flying miniature drones are marketed as the AR.Drone by wireless device manufacturer Parrot and have been available in German electronics stores since summer 2010.

But some German politicians are concerned about privacy issues relating to the toys priced at 299 euros ($393) and steered by devices like the iPhone and iPad.

"Even just by using the small, helicopter-like hobby models, people can quickly go beyond the limits of the law," said Ilse Aigner, Germany's consumer affairs minister, in an interview with the Deutsche Presse Agentur.

For example, if hobbyists or children fly the AR.Drone onto neighbors' property and capture images of them in their home without their permission, the photographs could already stand in violation of data privacy laws.

Legal grey zone

Laws currently exist that require clearance for launching unmanned flying objects similar to the AR.Drone, but they do not address devices of its size. Currently, objects that weigh less than five kilograms (11 pounds), do not reach an altitude of more than 30 meters and are not used commercially are not in need of clearance.

"Exactly where the line is between illegal and legal uses of these cameras remains a question of legal interpretation," a spokesman from the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection told Deutsche Welle.

"There is no law that states in clear terms how these devices are permitted to be used, so it's a new legal issue," he added.

While everyday street-level photographs generated by the objects are likely unproblematic, the question remains open as to exactly which uses are prohibited under current laws.

Smaller and cheaper

Politicians from the Left Party in Germany have called for legal limits on using the drone cameras, citing concerns about the future as similar devices become smaller, cheaper and more available.

"As the technology becomes cheaper, it's also going to be used more broadly," said Jan Korte, a data protection expert within the party, in an interview with the Deutsche Presse Agentur.

"People should not be able to use the drones to pry into the private sphere of others."

But there is not yet widespread discussion about changing federal laws to deal more clearly with the legal issues raised by cameras like the AR.Drone, said a representative of the Federal Commission for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, which advises the parliament on privacy issues.

Author: Greg Wiser
Editor: Cyrus Farivar