'We are trying to save lives, not be Big Brother': US police are facing backlash for using 'dystopian' drones to ask people to stay home

An unidentified worker with Absolute Intl. Security, providing security for the Hermosa Beach Police Department in closing off The Strand and two-mile stretch of Hermosa Beach, CA, lets people know of the closures, in an effort to prevent crowds and gatherings of people in the south bay town and slow the spread of the coronavirus, March 28, 2020.Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

• Some US police departments have started using drones to tell people to social distance and distribute coronavirus updates.
• In New Jersey, the drones told people to stay a safe distance apart, while in California they're used for homeless outreach. Both states are under shelter in place orders because of the coronavirus.
• The Italian military has also used drones to enforce stay at home orders.
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The US has joined other countries in using drones to monitor and enforce social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak. Police in California and New Jersey have adopted drones to limit personal contact and share COVID-19 information, Patrick McGee at the Financial Times reported.

In Elizabeth, New Jersey, police used drones to spread an automated message reminding people of stay at home orders. New Jersey has been one of the hardest-hit states in the US, and in March the state's governor called in the National Guard for help, converting buildings into medical facilities.

In California, at least two police departments have used drones primarily to reach out to homeless people, who are particularly at risk for coronavirus.

In Chula Vista, California, close to San Diego, police used drones to reach out to a homeless population over eight square miles through "difficult terrain and dense foliage," according to the Financial Times. In San Pablo, California, police similarly used drones as a way to reach the homeless without the risk of in-person communication.

Medical experts and homeless advocates have stated unsheltered residents are particularly at risk as social distancing is difficult in shelters or encampments, and people who have exposed or diagnosed with COVID-19 lack the ability to isolate themselves. A new study estimates that 3,400 homeless people in the US will die from COVID-19, and more than 21,000 will be hospitalized.

Some on social media criticized the use of drones by police departments. Vanity Fair said the move was akin to entering "dystopian territory".

Here are some of the drones being deployed around the US.