Families who unwrapped a personal drone on Christmas Day will have to be careful not to enter a minefield of regulations if they try and put their new purchase into use on Boxing Day.

Drones, sometimes referred to as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or unmanned aircraft, can infringe neighbours’ privacy, breach civil aviation regulations and raise data protection issues – even if the model used is simply a cheap “quadcopter” bought to be used as a toy.

The more advanced the drone, the more care its operator has to take to ensure they do not accidentally break the law while operating it.

“This is 2014’s BMX bike, except that unlike a bike, if you get it wrong, it’s going to be manic … people think that because they’ve watched a video on YouTube, they can just use it. But this is an aerial vehicle, and you’re potentially putting yourself at risk,” says Justin Pringle, drone development manager for Heliguy.com.

Pringle advised drone users to closely follow the instructions and rules, citing a publicity stunt by TGI Friday’s as an example of how things can go wrong.

The restaurant built a “Mobile Mistletoe” drone to hover near diners, which ended up crashing into a photographer’s face and slicing open her nose at a New York City TGI Friday’s.

On top of the individual risk, particular care must be taken near airports, in case a drone strays into the flight path of an airliner. In July an Airbus A320 narrowly avoided striking a drone flying at an altitude of 700ft near Heathrow. A collision could have damaged the plane’s engines, and caused a far worse incident.

Even away from airports, users are being urged to use their new drones with caution.

The Parrot Bebop drone is, for some, a must-have Christmas present this year. The drone, which costs £429.99, is the first “prosumer” model made by the company, enabling hobbyists to emulate the sort of drone photography shared on websites such as Dronestagram.

With an HD video camera mounted on a controllable gimbal, the Bebop can stream video and photographs to its pilot’s tablet computer. A £340 upgrade increases its range to 2km, and allows users to wear a virtual-reality display while piloting it to see the view from the camera.

But it could be difficult to make the most of a 2km range without infringing civil aviation regulations, which require UAS pilots to stay within eyesight of their drone, and use of the camera could infringe the privacy of passersby.

The Civil Aviation Authority has issued guidance to help drone operators understand airspace regulations.

Technically, drone operators must request permission from the CAA if they plan to fly a camera-equipped aircraft within congested areas, or within 50 metres of people or properties that are not under their control. They must also remain in “visual line of sight” of their aircraft, or they must be approved by the CAA.

“The regulations are intended to protect people and/or properties that are not involved in the activity,” the authority says. “They are also aimed at being as ‘light touch’ and proportionate as possible, so there is a great deal that can be done (especially for private or recreational flights) without the need to approach the CAA at all.”

The proliferation of camera-equipped drones has led the Information Commissioner’s Office to issue guidelines on responsible use of drones, to prevent privacy violations.

The ICO recommends operators let people know before they start recording, if possible, warning that in some scenarios, for example at beaches or parks, this will be very difficult to do: “So you’ll need to apply some common sense before you start.”

While the Data Protection Act applies to drones, individuals are not covered by it, but the ICO still recommends that operators “think before sharing” photos taken by a drone, and keep the images safe.

Michael Luke, the country manager of Parrot UK, says “both expert pilots and beginners should take care to only fly consumer drones in a responsible manner and with respect for the local rules and regulations.

“So before flying with the Skycontroller and Bebop drone, UK users should always ensure they are familiar with CAA regulations – in particular keeping their drone in sight at all times, and staying away from any built-up or restricted areas, and any crowds. All of our consumer drones are intended for recreational use only, and we always ask our customers to use them in a safe and responsible manner.”

• The picture caption was amended on 29 December 2014. An earlier version wrongly stated that an incident in which a drone landed on a photographer took place at TGI Friday’s in Manchester when in fact that accident happened in New York. This has been corrected.

