DJI, the Chinese company known for its dominance in the global drone market, will no longer restrict drone flights over airports, fires, military bases or the White House, shifting the responsibility for preventing potential abuse to U.S. law enforcement. The update to the geofencing system is announced on the company's website.

  • The decision has sparked a number of speculations about the political nature of the decision, especially considering that it was made a few days before Donald Trump's inauguration, shortly after the drone incident in New Jersey and an airplane that was damaged by a DJI drone while fighting a wildfire in Los Angeles. Some even suggest that this is China's response to the United States over the possible future ban of TikTok.
  • In response, DJI published a separate blog post emphasizing that the changes were planned long before these events, but their implementation was delayed to ensure the updates worked properly.

"Politics does not drive safety decisions at DJI," the company's statement reads.

  • The text also denies any connection to the current political environment in the United States, calling such assumptions false and dangerous.
  • The update effectively removes the "no-fly zones" feature that previously prevented most American drone pilots from flying in areas critical to national security, such as power plants, government buildings, and active wildfires.
  • The blog post doesn't fully explain the reasons for the flight restrictions. The company says the decision was driven by the principle of operator responsibility, as well as complaints from commercial operators and first responders who have experienced delays in unlocking drones in critical situations.

As The Verge notes, the Federal Aviation Administration does not require drone manufacturers to implement geofencing, and the creation of such zones was DJI's own initiative.

The decision to lift these restrictions raises questions about whether it will improve flight safety, and what factors dictated it.

In light of this decision, the company faces the threat of a complete ban on the import of its drones into the US on national security grounds. The author of the publication suggests that the lifting of restrictions may be an attempt to attract the attention of regulators by demonstrating how the company has previously voluntarily contributed to reducing safety risks.

The company is expected to provide additional explanations for its decision.

AIN reminds our readers that China, escalating its trade confrontation with the US, began to limit the supply of key components for drones, which play an important role for Ukraine in countering russian aggression.

In the summer of 2024, China banned the export of military drones, stating that it does not supply weapons to any side in the war in Ukraine.