Officials say there's no threat to the U.S. from the drones being sighted. In keeping with America's ufological traditions, it's mostly planes and planets anyway. Furthermore, there's nothing illegal or particularly menacing about flying drones at night.
The investigations have also found no evidence that spotted drones have engaged in illegal activity or malicious acts, and that the United States Coast Guard has not found any evidence of foreign involvement offshore."At this point, we have not identified any basis for believing that there's any criminal activity involved, that there's any national security threat, that there's any particular public safety threat or that there's a malicious foreign actor involved in these drones," a DHS official said. The FBI has been investigating hundreds of reports of drones operating at night since mid-November, most of which are larger than the ones that hobbyists use.
It is shark week, but with drones: media taking a probablistic clustering of reports about things that are fairly mundane—drones and light EV aircraft—and juicing it into a hysterical folk panic.
If you're astonished at how badly things are going in America and wondering how we could make such obvious mistakes as we are, would it help to point out that people are standing outside at night wailing in panic at Jupiter? No, I suppose it doesn't help much.
Maybe ground your drones until it's over! Good luck if you're piloting an actual plane. Presumably, the planets won't need it.
Under the surface of it all, perhaps, is sublimated fear at the extent and depth of public surveillance?
Previously:
• Disney's amazing new drone show
• Military-grade drones, coming to a police department near you
• Large 'drones' intrigue locals in New Jersey
• Mystery drone squadrons flying over Colorado and Nebraska