Data Security Stories October 31
On Wednesday, the same day that DJI launched the DJI Mavic Mini, the US Department of the Interior announced that all DJI drones and other Chinese-made unmanned aircraft or UAVs that contain Chinese-made parts in its fleet are to be grounded as part of a review of the department’s drone program. This is the latest threat to DJI’s drone business in the United States.
Data Security Stories August 2
Worried about drones spying on you? Check out these mass surveillance balloons!
Over the last few years, many government officials have worried about drones being used to spy on the US and sending sensitive data back to China. Well, maybe it is not so much the drones we need to worry about, but balloons. Check out this story about the Pentagon testing mass surveillance balloons across the US.
Data Security Stories July 18
DJI drones banned by Cape, a drone software company that supplies US law enforcement agencies. It said that because of security concerns it will no longer work with DJI or other Chinese drone manufacturers. The tech company supplies dozens of public safety agencies as well as state and local law enforcement in the U.S and some other countries.
Data Security Stories July 9
It seems that DJI is finally getting a break from concerns that various government agencies have expressed about the security of the data captured by DJI’s drones. After an independent 15-month testing program that included thousands of drone flights with models such as the DJI Mavic Pro and DJI Matrice 600 Pro, the Department of the Interior (DoI) has validated and approved the DJI Government Edition.
When the DoI started testing in April 2018, the newer Mavic 2 Pro, Zoom and Enterprise Edition had not yet hit the market, so were not included in the test. DJI told DroneDJ that testing has not yet started on the newer Mavic 2 drones, as the Mavic Pro and Matrice 600 tests have just been finished.
See DJI’s press statement below for all the details.
Data Security Stories June 19
In a short interview on FOX Business Network’s After the Bell, DJI Director of Strategic Partnerships, Jan Gasparic said that “customers’ data is theirs and theirs alone” and “The fact is that your data sits on the drone itself, that’s fundamental.” There’s a link to the video of the interview below. expand full story
Data Security Stories May 23
In response to the DHS Alert from earlier this week, that caused quite some commotion after being picked up by major news outlets, DJI has posted their official response on the DJI Hub website. The drone maker says that their customers’ data is none of their business. They state that their goal is to provide a “reliable drone platform” and that their drones exceed or meet the DHS recommended mitigating measures. In DJI’s response, the company outlines five recommendations to keep your data safe.
Over the last few years, concerns about DJI’s data handling and security have flared up a number of times. With this week’s headlines, it seems that DJI gets sucked into the escalating trade war between the United States and China. Is the Chinese drone maker at risk of being viewed like another Huawei? A ban on buying DJI drones and products for US companies would be a significant blow to all the organizations and agencies that have come to rely on DJI’s drones to do good. Many rescue workers, police, and fire departments use DJI’s products to help save people’s lives. And, as unfortunate as it may be, there is currently hardly any alternative (except maybe the Parrot Anafi Thermal) for DJI’s capable AND affordable drones for many of these organizations.
If you, or your organization, are impacted by the data security concerns around DJI’s drones, we would like to hear from you either in the comments below or per email. Thank you!
For DJI’s official statement and their recommendations to keep your data safe while using DJI’s drones keep reading.
