On March 8, 2021, the Mexican government took the step of using drone signal jammers during feminist protests in Mexico City. This action has caused widespread concern and controversy. The main purpose of drone blockers is to prevent drones from entering protected airspace to ensure the safety of activities.
UAV jammers do not generally affect other types of wireless communications, such as mobile phones, public broadcasting systems, etc. They are designed to specifically target drone signal frequencies to prevent drones from flying in protected areas. The jammer devices used in Mexico are a series from Hikvision, which has a wide interference field and can work effectively within a range of 800 meters.
Regulatory environment in Mexico
In Mexico, the use of drones is regulated by the NOM-107-SCT3-2019 standard. This standard sets flight distance and altitude limits for drones, for example, drones must be no more than 9.2 kilometers from any airport and cannot fly more than 900 meters. For recreational use of small drones, although no special license is required, they still need to be registered on the Ministry of Transportation (SCT) website and comply with relevant flight altitude and speed limits.
Regulation on drone signal blockers Article 190 bis of the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law prohibits the use of signal jamming devices to block, cancel or eliminate cellular telephones, radio communications or data transmission equipment, except in specific federal public safety and national security situations. Although the law does not explicitly mention UAV signal jammer devices, their use still needs to be carefully considered within the legal framework.
Drone jammer controversy
During the feminist protests in Mexico City, the use of drone jammer devices has sparked widespread controversy. Some reports have pointed out that drone signal jammers not only interfered with the on-site recording of the protests, but also affected the work of journalists. Photographer Pablo Ramos Garcia said on social media that his drone was shot down by a jamming equipment while reporting on the event, calling the act a "jamming attack." Although presidential spokesman Jesus Ramirez Cuevas clarified that no weapons were used, but jamming equipment was used to maintain security, the use of this technology still raised public concerns about privacy and freedom of information.
Summary
Drone jammer devices were used to maintain security during the women's rights protests in Mexico City, but their use also sparked discussions about privacy and press freedom. This technology works by emitting electromagnetic noise to interfere with the drone's signal, thereby ensuring the safety of the airspace in a specific area. However, the controversy in its actual application shows that the relevant legal and regulatory frameworks need to be further clarified to balance the relationship between security and personal freedom.
