New models of DJI drones — the world’s most popular consumer drone — could be barred from the U.S. market as soon as 2025. The Pentagon in 2022 classified DJI as a Chinese military company, prohibiting procurements by the U.S. military.
Several states have already stepped in to halt the sale of the Chinese drones to local law enforcement — including Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee.
But legislation recently pegged to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would ban the Federal Communications Commission from issuing licenses to DJI — a move that could end sales of all new models in the United States.
“We definitely would use Anzu if our lawmakers foolishly forced us into doing so,” said Kyle Nordfors, drone search-and-rescue coordinator for Weber County, Utah, where local law enforcement relies on DJI drones for everything from SWAT team operations to searching for lost hikers.
Nordfors is a strong opponent of legislation that would ban DJI drones. “American lives will be lost because of it,” he said.
“I’ve yet to meet a public safety agency that is in favor of it.”
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@AmazedVetoDemocrat2yrs2Y
"American lives will be lost because of [the DJI ban]," says random law enforcement user. But the article never explains why that might be true or false. In what way are the DJI drones so superior that there is no adequate Western-made substitute?
@GrumpyOilRepublican2yrs2Y
Drone swarm attacks are the worlds military weapon future, only tactical nuclear EMP missiles will be able to zap them out of the sky rapidly in masse.
@C0ngressMuesliVeteran2yrs2Y
Perhaps we can resolve any security concerns with use of these products by simply requiring that all onboard software be viewable and editable. This way the Chinese can make the hardware and their customers can choose or make their own software (ideally "open sourced"). It should be simple to prevent these machines from 'reporting user data back to China' - simply keep them off the net! There's no reason these machines should require any direct net access. You should download firmware updates to your PC, then use USB to flash the device - No user data to China!
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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