In Haute-Savoie, a local administrative court has temporarily halted the use of drones by the gendarmerie (a branch of the French national police) during rescue operations. The court in Grenoble made this decision on Friday, September 11, after rejecting an authorization granted earlier by the prefecture of Haute-Savoie on August 14. This authorization had allowed gendarmes to use drones to capture, record, and transmit images across the entire department for search and rescue missions, as well as for locating missing persons. The authorization was set to expire on November 13. The court found that the authorization was too broad in its scope, covering the entire department, and did not sufficiently limit the use of drones. The judge ruled that for such surveillance to be lawful, it must be shown that no less intrusive method exists or that alternative approaches would pose a serious risk to the safety of personnel. The drone, in this case, must be considered a last resort. This requirement reflects the principle of proportionality, which aligns with guidelines from the CNIL, France's data protection authority, on the use of drones by law enforcement. The legal challenge was brought by the association Vigie Liberté, which argues that drone use by the gendarmerie infringes on individuals' right to privacy and personal data protection. Vigie Liberté has previously succeeded in several court cases against the use of surveillance drones, and this ruling is seen as another win for the group. The court did not dispute the general principle of using drones in rescue operations but criticized the current legal framework as being too vague and open to interpretation. The ruling is expected to fuel debate on how to balance the operational benefits of drones in mountain rescue operations with the need to protect individual freedoms. The regulations governing the use of small aircraft, such as drones, remain unclear, with many factors influencing how they are applied in practice. This decision may prompt further legal challenges or calls for clearer national guidelines on drone usage by law enforcement.