Surveillance drones deployment on US’s Great Lakes raises data collection fears
Workers deploy a Saildrone ‘Voyager’ drone into the Baltic Sea at the Koge Marina in Koge, eastern Denmark, in June 2025. Photograph: James Brooks/APView image in fullscreenWorkers deploy a Saildrone ‘Voyager’ drone into the Baltic Sea at the Koge Marina in Koge, eastern Denmark, in June 2025. The US Coast Guard recently announced it has launched an armada of at least six sailing drones in the Great Lakes this summer in an attempt to, in part, “track illicit activity”.At 33ft long, Saildrone Inc’s Voyager surveillance vessels can operate for 100 days at a time without needing servicing.
- ▪Workers deploy a Saildrone ‘Voyager’ drone into the Baltic Sea at the Koge Marina in Koge, eastern Denmark, in June 2025.
- ▪Photograph: James Brooks/APView image in fullscreenWorkers deploy a Saildrone ‘Voyager’ drone into the Baltic Sea at the Koge Marina in Koge, eastern Denmark, in June 2025.
- ▪The US Coast Guard recently announced it has launched an armada of at least six sailing drones in the Great Lakes this summer in an attempt to, in part, “track illicit activity”.At 33ft long, Saildrone Inc’s Voyager surveillance vessels can
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Workers deploy a Saildrone ‘Voyager’ drone into the Baltic Sea at the Koge Marina in Koge, eastern Denmark, in June 2025. Photograph: James Brooks/APView image in fullscreenWorkers deploy a Saildrone ‘Voyager’ drone into the Baltic Sea at the Koge Marina in Koge, eastern Denmark, in June 2025. Photograph: James Brooks/APUS militarySurveillance drones deployment on US’s Great Lakes raises data collection fearsRights groups and some locals worry that program to ‘track illicit activity’ could become a data collection projectStephen StarrTue 9 Jun 2026 09.00 EDTLast modified on Tue 9 Jun 2026 09.01 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThe Great Lakes have rarely ever been considered a hotbed of illicit drug activity or center for illegal immigration.But that hasn’t stopped US government…
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