Drones: Do They Mean the End of Privacy?

This past week, a Seattle woman claimed that a drone was spying on her in her own apartment.

The owner of the drone, however, insists he wasn't spying - that he was actually using the drone to study views for a  planned building.

To many, drones are little more than model planes of the 21st century.

But these devices also have the capacity to record video, fly longer distances and ascend higher than their predecessors.

Are these drones a technological achievement or legitimate nuisances?

CNN legal analyst Mel Robbins and CNN aviation analyst Jeff Wise appeared on "New Day" Wednesday to discuss the increased prevalence of drones, and how they could potentially affect privacy laws.

"The capability is incredible and we haven't yet dealt with the potential for mayhem and mishap," Wise said.

Drones, of late, have attracted a spate of somewhat unfavorable press - from other women alleging privacy intrusions to questions surrounding military use of unmanned planes.

But is the bad rap deserved?

Robbins is skeptical.

“I think your privacy is frankly more at risk with people’s handheld devices,” she said.

Privacy laws could potentially impose a drone crackdown, Robbins said, but they vary from state to state.

And while technology advances at lightning speed, long-standing laws are often slow to change.

If a woman is in her own apartment, Robbins said, and is visible through windows or open blinds, the legality of drone use for viewing is not black-and-white.

"The fact that it's a drone is creepy as heck, but it doesn't necessarily mean it violates your privacy," she said.

Do you think drones mean the end to privacy as we know it? Let us know in the comments below.  

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Related: CNN to study drone use for reporting