Final answer:
Legal but questionable reconnaissance activities include dumpster diving, observing mail in plain sight, and taking employee newsletters. These activities highlight privacy concerns, especially in the age of drones and metadata collection, which can infringe upon personal privacy despite being legal. Balancing these activities with privacy rights is a complex and evolving issue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reconnaissance activities that may be legal but are ethically or privacy-wise questionable include dumpster diving, observing names and addresses on mail in plain sight, and picking up a copy of an employee newsletter if they are available. These activities skirt the edges of legal surveillance and privacy concerns. In the context of privacy issues, the use of drones for surveillance is increasing, capable of infringing on personal spaces such as backyards and potentially viewing inside a home using infrared technology. This challenges traditional conceptions of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. Moreover, metadata collection, despite being anonymous, can reveal personal patterns, raising more privacy concerns.
French law allows for the arrest and detention of individuals merely suspected of association with terrorists, reflecting a global trend of balancing civil liberties with protection against terrorists. The scale and scope of legal surveillance have expanded due to technological advances, posing significant challenges to privacy and ethical boundaries.