The issue is, officials admit, a complex gray zone – for one thing, the flying aspect of drones and permission to do so is governed by the Transport Administration, while the area of illegal surveillance or stalking falls under the remit of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), and also under the Data Protection Inspectorate's (AKI) responsibility.

Both domestic and EU law (bearing in mind Valga lies on the border with Latvia) cover drone flying, and the rules also vary on drone type, weight etc. – though one thing which applies to all is that they must not be used for illicit peering into people's windows: Images captured in which a person is identifiable constitute a data protection infringement.

While the PPA has the power to seize a drone, the idea of shooting down or otherwise disabling an unwanted aerial visitor – floated by Valga residents after the recent incident – is discouraged.

The best first step in the case of a potential privacy violation by a drone is to call 112; documenting the situation, such as by taking photos of the drone on one's phone, is also a good idea, though it may not even need to get to that stage – if the drone owner is known, one can always talk to them first to resolve the issue, as it can be the case the operator was unaware they were infringing anything and/or had no intent to do so. For this reason, drone users should also thoroughly familiarize themselves with the law.

An extensive drone use guide is available in English here, and for more information on the rules in force, visit the Transport Administration's website. Information on the privacy aspect of drones and cameras is available from the AKI's site here (link in Estonian).

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