Drone Espionage Act

The Drone Espionage Act would update federal espionage law to explicitly prohibit unauthorized video recordings of sensitive military and defense sites. Currently, the Espionage Act of 1917 makes it illegal to take photographs of national defense installations, but the law does not specifically mention videography. This bill would close that legal gap by adding video to the list of prohibited information-gathering methods.

The bill would make unauthorized video recording of military installations a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine, or both. Supporters argue this change is necessary because drones have become increasingly sophisticated and are allegedly being used by foreign adversaries, particularly China, to conduct surveillance of U.S. military bases and defense facilities. The bill would apply to various types of defense sites including naval bases, shipyards, space force bases, and other military installations.

The legislation is currently under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee. It has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, with companion legislation introduced in the Senate. The bill represents an effort to modernize espionage laws to address technological developments that have occurred since the original 1917 statute was enacted.