DroneHacks is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable environment and harassment-free experience for everyone. All attendees, sponsors, mentors, speakers, partners, volunteers, organizers, and anyone else attending DroneHacks are required to agree to and abide by the following Code of Conduct.
TL;DR
Always be respectful of others. If you even remotely believe that your actions or words may make someone feel uncomfortable, don’t do it. If you are in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, or you suspect someone may be in such a situation, please report it using the procedures documented below.
Harassment
Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, photography or audio/video recording against reasonable consent, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Harassment can include any behavior that makes another person feel targeted or uncomfortable.
In particular, attendees should not use sexualised or discriminatory images, activities, or other material both in their hacks and during the event. Attendees—including sponsors, mentors, speakers, partners, volunteers, and organizers—should not use sexualised or discriminatory clothing, uniforms, or costumes, or otherwise create a sexualised or discriminatory environment.
Photography is encouraged, but subjects must be given a reasonable chance to opt out from being photographed. If they object to the taking of their photograph, comply with their request. It is inappropriate to take photographs in contexts where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy, including bathrooms or designated resting spaces.
If a participant engages in harassing, inappropriate, or disruptive behavior, DroneHacks may take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to warning the offender, contacting Stanford University officials or police, or expulsion from the event with no eligibility for reimbursement, prizes, or refund of any type.
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an organizer using the reporting procedures defined below.
DroneHacks representatives can assist participants in contacting campus police or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. If you are in immediate physical danger, please call the Stanford Police Department at 650-723-9633, or the emergency telephone number at 911.
Drone and Hardware Safety
DroneHacks involves aircraft, lithium-polymer batteries, electrical systems, rotating propellers, soldering equipment, and other tools capable of causing serious injury or property damage. All safety instructions are mandatory.
Participants must:
- Follow all instructions from DroneHacks organizers, safety personnel, flight-cage operators, Stanford University personnel, and venue staff.
- Operate aircraft only inside approved flight areas and during authorized testing periods.
- Never arm, spin, or test motors with propellers installed outside an approved flight area.
- Remove propellers during bench testing, software configuration, calibration, and other non-flight work unless expressly authorized by DroneHacks safety personnel.
- Never fly an aircraft over, toward, or unreasonably close to another person.
- Immediately disarm or stop testing when instructed.
- Keep aircraft within approved flight boundaries and safety barriers.
- Use only approved batteries, chargers, power supplies, tools, and electrical configurations.
- Charge and store batteries only in designated areas.
- Never charge a battery unattended.
- Immediately stop using and report any battery that is damaged, punctured, swollen, unusually hot, smoking, or otherwise unsafe.
- Use soldering irons, cutting tools, and other equipment only in designated work areas.
- Wear required eye protection and other personal protective equipment.
- Keep exits, aisles, fire equipment, and emergency-access routes unobstructed.
- Immediately report crashes, injuries, battery incidents, damaged equipment, unsafe conduct, and near misses.
Participants may not disable, bypass, or interfere with geofences, flight limits, protective barriers, emergency-stop systems, battery protections, software safety restrictions, or any other safety control established by DroneHacks.
DroneHacks safety personnel may inspect, ground, disable, or remove any aircraft, battery, charger, tool, or project that they reasonably believe is unsafe. Safety decisions made by designated DroneHacks or Stanford personnel are final for the duration of the event.
Prohibited Activities
Participants may not:
- Attach weapons, pyrotechnics, dangerous materials, harmful substances, or payloads intended to injure people or animals to any aircraft.
- Design or demonstrate a system intended to harm people, animals, occupied vehicles, or buildings.
- Conduct outdoor flights unless the flight has been specifically authorized and supervised by DroneHacks.
- Intentionally jam, spoof, or interfere with GPS, radio, cellular, Wi-Fi, aviation, safety, or emergency-service communications unless operating inside an expressly approved and controlled testing environment.
- Attempt to access another participant’s, sponsor’s, DroneHacks’, or Stanford University’s systems, accounts, networks, equipment, or data without explicit authorization.
- Deploy malicious software, conduct denial-of-service attacks, steal credentials, or perform other harmful cyber activity.
- Tamper with, damage, hide, or take another team’s equipment or work.
- Bring firearms, weapons, illegal drugs, or unauthorized hazardous materials into the event.
- Consume or possess alcohol or illegal drugs during DroneHacks.
- Operate aircraft, batteries, tools, or other equipment while impaired or otherwise unable to do so safely.
Resting Areas and Venue Conduct
Participants may rest only in areas approved by DroneHacks and the venue.
Participants must not block exits or aisles, enter closed or unreserved rooms, occupy organizer-only areas, or remain in an area after being directed to leave.
Resting participants must not be photographed, recorded, disturbed, touched, or subjected to pranks.
Participants must wear or display their DroneHacks identification badge when requested and remain within approved event spaces.
Reporting Procedure
If at any point you feel uncomfortable or think there may be a potential violation of this Code of Conduct, please report it through one of the following methods:
- Speak with any identifiable DroneHacks organizer.
- Ask specifically for a DroneHacks co-director or safety lead.
- Email hello@stanfordhorizons.com with the subject line “CONFIDENTIAL: Code of Conduct.”
- Use the anonymous incident-reporting form provided during the event.
If you are uncomfortable reporting a situation to a particular organizer, ask to speak directly with a DroneHacks co-director or Stanford University representative.
All reporters may remain anonymous. DroneHacks will handle reports as discreetly as reasonably possible, although information may be shared when necessary to protect safety, investigate an incident, comply with Stanford University policy, or satisfy legal obligations.
Retaliation against anyone who makes a good-faith report or assists with an incident review is prohibited.
Compliance and Enforcement
Participants asked to stop inappropriate, disruptive, harassing, or unsafe behavior are expected to comply immediately.
Failure to follow this Code of Conduct or organizer safety instructions may result in a warning, removal from a particular area, grounding of equipment, disqualification, loss of eligibility for prizes or travel reimbursement, removal from DroneHacks, referral to Stanford University officials or police, or exclusion from future DroneHacks events.
By accepting a place at or participating in DroneHacks 2026, each participant confirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to follow this Code of Conduct.
This Code of Conduct is based on the TreeHacks Code of Conduct, which was adapted from the Hack Code of Conduct.
Version 2026-08.1 · August 2026
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