It is being reported that hundreds of Chinese-manufactured drones have been detected in no-fly zones over Washington, D.C., in recent months.
The recreational drones, manufactured by the Shenzhen-based company DJI, are created with “geofencing” technology meant to prevent them from buzzing through no-fly zones. However, some users have retooled the devices to work around that restriction, according to the outlet.A simple search on YouTube leads to dozens of videos teaching how to overcome geofencing. Several claim it can be done legally, but flying through Federal Aviation Administration-defined restricted zones violates the law.
Congressional members have received classified briefings in which national security officials expressed serious concerns that this could become a new means of foreign espionage.
Federal officials and drone industry experts have delivered classified briefings to the Senate Homeland Security, Commerce and Intelligence committees on the development, three people privy to the meetings said. A spokesperson for the Intelligence Committee — which has been kept closely apprised of the counterintelligence risks — declined to comment on the briefings. The other two committees did not respond….“This is part of a trend of commercial drones for potentially nefarious reasons,” said Rachel Stohl, vice president of research programs at the Stimson Center think tank who closely tracks the global drone market. “We’re seeing in conflict zones, in other theaters, the reliance and use of commercial drones.”“These may be just innocent data collection — or really just looking around, seeing what’s happening — and not in a systemized way,” she added. “But the potential, of course, is that eventually they could be more dangerous.”It’s unclear what, if anything, Congress is likely to do to address the threat. Several pieces of legislation have been introduced, but most have not made it past the committee level. In addition, what limited authority exists for non-defense federal agencies to use counter-drone technology will soon expire unless lawmakers move to extend it. It’s currently carried on the continuing resolution that funds the federal government expiring Dec. 16.
Officials said they do not believe the drones, built by the Chinese company DJI, are directed by the Chinese government. However, they sound the alarm over the potential for spying. DJI officials, on the other hand, completely deny all links to potential security abuses.
In July 2021, the Pentagon said that systems made by DJI Technology ‘pose potential threats to national security.’In October, the Department of Defense added DJI to a blacklist of firms with alleged links to the Chinese military, paving the way for sanctions to be imposed.A spokesperson for DJI told Politico that though the firm makes an effort to ensure customers follow regulations ‘we can’t control the end users’ behavior.”Unfortunately, while DJI puts everything in place to identify and notify our customers about areas in which they can’t fly, we can’t control the end users’ behavior,’ said Arianne Burrell, communications manager for DJI Technology, Inc.’But we do everything from our end to ensure that they do follow the regulations that are set out by their localities,’ she added.
DJI supplies over 70% of the world’s civilian drones. Florida Senator Marco Rubio noted his concerns about the drones’ links to China, especially in light of growing tensions between it and the US.
“Any technological product with origins in China or Chinese companies holds a real risk and potential of vulnerability that can be exploited both now and in a time of conflict,” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, told Politico.They’re manufactured in China or manufactured by a Chinese company, but they’ll put a sticker on it of some non-Chinese company that repackages it so you don’t even know that you’re buying it,” Rubio said, adding, “But anything that’s technological has the capability of having embedded, in the software or in the actual hardware, vulnerabilities that can be exploited at any given moment.”
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