By Emily Zanotti | 5:01 pm, June 7, 2017
A group of men ran afoul of Spanish authorities after using a camera drone to spy on several women bathing topless, on a yacht off the coast of Majorca.
The men, who were partying on a different yacht parked nearby, used the tiny flying robot to photograph at least seven women, five of whom were completely nude.
Fortunately for the women, the guys weren’t subtle about their “discovery”—the women told police they spotted a group of men laughing and joking while pointing at a tablet screen, and presumed they’d found the offenders. The women then pulled out their own phones, recorded their oglers, and headed into shore, where they filed a police report.
Majorca is fairly well-known for its “textile-free” beaches, according to TripAdvisor, but with the advent of drone technology, “European-style” sunbathing is getting riskier. This is at least the second such incident of drone-based voyeurism European authorities have encountered since cruise season began.
The island is also a popular destination for drone photographers, which has been a boon to local Spanish law enforcement, who issue fines for any improper drone usage. Last year, the Spanish Aviation Security Agency says they collected nearly a quarter million dollars from illegal drone pilots.
Spanish authorities told the Telegraph that, since cases of drone-invaded privacy are so new, they’ve passed the decision on whether to charge the owner of this particular drone, a French national who was there to film a regatta, with a crime.
Since Spanish drone owners also have to register their craft with authorities, they’re also investigating whether the drone was properly licensed.
While they decide, though, Spanish authorities say its best to ogle topless bathers the old fashioned way, instead of relying on technology.