Get Blurry: Here’s How to Protect Your Privacy From Delivery Drones

Have you heard the buzz? 

To be clear, we’re not asking if you’ve caught the latest movie or listened to the latest record that’s catching a bunch of online praise. We’re talking about the literal buzz being heard by North Texas residents now that delivery drones are soaring through the skies with increasing regularity. 

We reported on how Richardson city leaders are looking into complaints they’ve received regarding noise coming from Amazon delivery drones. Amazon isn’t the only company deploying delivery drones in North Texas, as Walmart also has also begun a drone delivery service. But it’s not just the incessant buzzing that residents are starting to feel concern over. 

Delivery drones can legally fly over private property, including backyards, patios, balconies and other areas that one might usually have a reasonable expectation of privacy. As a result, privacy concerns have also been raised along with the noise complaints. 

In 2023, an estimated 352,000 commercial drones were in operation in the U.S. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, there were more than 1 million commercial drones in operation by the end of 2025 being used for deliveries and other uses including land surveying. It’s not a stretch to suggest that as drone delivery continues its substantial acceleration across the United States that complaints and concerns of various kinds will become more prominent as well. 

As it happens, the various drone operators have ways for residents to protect their privacy should they feel the need. But be careful what you wish for. You may be granting permission or leaving yourself without the option of drone delivery without even realizing it. Here’s what to know about commercial drone delivery and your privacy. 

Commercial drones must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency that controls the airspace above all our homes. The drones must stay lower than 400 feet above ground level and not exceed an airspeed of 87 knots. Drones are primarily not allowed to fly after dark or above automotive traffic, although there are some exceptions to both guidelines. 

And, just to be clear, no you can not shoot a drone down or damage one in any way. Sorry. 

What Texas Law Says

In 2013 the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 912, the Texas Privacy Act. The law prohibits unmanned aircraft from capturing images of individuals or property without proper consent. Violations of the law are a Class C misdemeanor, carrying fines of as much as $10,000. In 2022, a federal judge ruled that some of the law violated the First Amendment, specifically when it came to the restrictions on journalists using drones. 

For what it’s worth, Amazon says that its flying machines are not equipped with license plate or facial recognition technology. But if that is not enough to assuage your concern and you don’t want your Amazon purchases flown to you, make your way to Amazon’s customer service contact page. 

Wing is owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, so one way to blur your house in Wing’s mapping is to do so through Google maps, but that might not be enough, as Wing does utilize a proprietary mapping system. Wing’s privacy policy lays things out a bit more specifically for those who want to get all blurry. 

“When you first launch any of our mobile apps that collect precise location information, you will be asked to consent to the app’s collection of this information,” the policy states. “… this processing is designed to occur only on-device through the app itself. If you initially consent to this collection of precise location information, you can subsequently stop the collection of this information at any time by changing the preferences on your mobile device.”