Your privacy rights when someone operates a drone near or over your property.
This page provides legal information, not legal advice. Consult a qualified privacy lawyer or CIPP/C-accredited privacy professional before taking action on access requests, breach response, complaints to a Privacy Commissioner, or Federal Court applications.
Last verified: September 2026
TL;DR
Recreational drone use is regulated by Transport Canada rules. Flying directly over private property to record may also breach privacy laws and civil privacy torts. Disputes usually start with a conversation and escalate to the local police and Transport Canada if necessary.
Step 1: talk to the neighbour
A polite conversation often resolves the issue. Some drone hobbyists are unaware their flights attract privacy concerns.
Step 2: file a Transport Canada complaint
Transport Canada can be contacted about unsafe or illegal drone flights. Any drone between 250 g and 25 kg, recreational or commercial, requires a pilot certificate and registration. PIPEDA does not apply to an individual's personal, non-commercial drone use; the remedies there are the civil privacy torts, provincial Privacy Acts, and the Criminal Code.
Step 3: consider a civil privacy claim
If recording captured identifiable images of you or your family, you may have a claim for intrusion upon seclusion in Ontario or similar torts in other provinces.