Drone Wars: What Iran Tensions Say About Tech Security
The President called it a massive mistake. Iran called it sovereign airspace. You can call it a tip in the scales of tech regulations. A US drone shot down by Houthi rebels over Iran has sounded world alarm bells. Within the wake of this noise, consumers and innovators must watch the skies for market changes, compliance changes, and other liability factors_such as beta testing in at-risk regions.
Wars and rumors of wars
This week in politics, many social commentators argue the likelihood of a renewed military conflict between the US and Iran. To cite Cal Thomas of Fox News Network, Iran is expected to increase its production of uranium against the limitations placed on it primarily by the US. Iran increases its hostility toward the US as diplomacy flounders under the aggressive speak of US leaders. Trade in this region is highly tense for compound reasons.
US Debt a fear driver in a potential hot conflict
Meanwhile, US citizens fear the public funds’ arbitration of another militarized conflict in the Gulf. The US economy has an outstanding balance of 22 Trillion dollars of debt. The Presidential campaigns of 2020 are alleged to increase government spending. Simply put, US economics cannot afford to go into any extraneous debt for militarized campaigns. US innovations markets look on in growing angst as project funding is swallowed up in the white noise of saber-rattling.
This is a critical situation because even a drone crash accident, as the US drone shooting allegedly could have been, may cause high-risk escalations. This was followed by another Iran drone shooting in the Straits on July 18th.
Knowing this is gravely important to your company. Whether you are a fully launched drone venture, or in beta testing, you are responsible for your drone products. You cannot depend solely on a government grant now, should these tensions build. Also, a failure to be in a constant place of risk mitigation could put your personnel and many other casual bystanders at a risk that is bizarrely fragile and unique to the 21st Century.
Big Four tech investigation looms over drone market
Corresponding, the US has the problem of the Big Four Tech antitrust investigation. Could non-platform agnostic innovation be stalled by the probe into tech giants such as Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook?
The answer is: yes, with high likelihood. Citing Yahoo Finance, tech ETFs have seen some negative implications because of the antitrust threat. Markets appear skittish with the constant negativity in tech and telecom in recent months. Consumers already have some distrust of drone technology, which compounds this issue in US drone markets.
Facebook has already hit several roadblocks with their innovation programs coming under investigation. In previous years, their attempts to increase internet speeds with programs like Aquila and tiny drones have had low success. These fall under a plethora of products and services that are or could potentially fall under the magnifying glass of a Federal investigation.
Now, with drone security even more challenged by the heat of low success diplomacy in the Middle East, the markets will be faced with Federal regulations. A militarized conflict will demand regulation of tech potentially exploited in war-making. In today’s economy, that can include something as tame as an Uber delivery drone. Modern militarization is a backyard issue_This is, unfortunately, because of innovations in connective devices.
The future of drone economics
As a trade war potentially becomes a conflict of deadly force, investors in drone economics pause. Fear may grip many marketplace incentives. Don’t panic and don’t despair. Rather, it’s time to get educated. Crackdown on drone security and integrity of the device in each program you utilize. Use the discretion of the following:
See drone insurance options, such as produced by Flock
Watch market shares in your niche before licensing a program or drone product to a major company
Understand the significance of sovereign airspace when launching a product campaign. You must seek formal permissions for even a low-profile project.
Join an NGO air trafficking control council for scientific accountability. We highly recommend the Air Traffic Control Association. (abbrev. ATCA)
Increase documentation and compliance with the local regional government air traffic control.
Closing thoughts
There is no preventive measure strong enough to completely remove risks. That doesn’t mean you should shrink back. Know your market well. Know your product better. Trust your instincts. Yet above all else, be vigilant. Don’t test in the wrong place or at the wrong time. Allow yourself enough time to research your flight sites to know the risks that a new product could draw to it or bring with it. That, or simply don’t fly in those hot regions at all until you are confident your business model has been liability-proofed enough to resume.
Innovators are a resilient group. These horror stories and war games are nothing new. Only the breakthroughs made in technology are. With the constant press of increasing knowledge, we can overcome the War Pigs’ constant march. We must believe that or every other pursuit that follows now is for naught.