A ban on government use of Chinese-manufactured drones went into effect in the Sunshine State on Wednesday April 5th, despite complaints from various police departments who use drones from Chinese manufacturer Da Jiang Innovations.
The Unmanned Aerial Systems Minimum Security Requirements rule from the state’s Department of Management Services outlines that government institutions in Florida may not use drones manufactured by “foreign countries of concern.”
“A Governmental Agency may not purchase, acquire, or otherwise use a Drone or any related services or equipment produced by a manufacturer domiciled in, or produced by a manufacturer the Governmental Agency reasonably believes to be owned or controlled (in whole or in part) by, a Foreign Country of Concern,”
the rule, which went into effect Wednesday, said.
A law that passed in 2021 tasked the state with forming a list of approved drone manufacturers for use by entities within the state, which did not include DJI. The Chinese manufacturer’s absence from the list meant police departments had to suspend use of the drones by Jan. 1, 2023.
The new rule focuses on outlawing DJI drones for state government use by implementing a prohibition on “foreign countries of concern,” which China falls under.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that several major police departments have had to shelve most of their drones due to the new rules. The state of Florida spent about $200 million on DJI drones, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office shelved 19 of its 25 drones, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office shelved 63 drones, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office all 31 of its drones, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office got rid of 15 of its 16 drones, and the Tampa Police Department disposed of all seven of its drones, per the report. The Broward Sheriff’s Office has grounded 63 drones, purchased at a cost of $300,000, while Miami-Dade police and fire rescue have had to ground 41 drones, which cost more than $200,000.
A DJI spokesperson provided News 6 with the following statement on the issue.
“Today’s Florida ruling against the use of Chinese-made drones for law enforcement is a regrettable development and is unjustified.
A vast number of government agencies and commercial entities in the U.S. rely on and use DJI drones in their daily work. This includes law enforcement, first responders, infrastructure inspectors, and others who know they can trust our products because they are safe and secure.
They trust us because independent audits to stress-test our cybersecurity and privacy practices demonstrate not only our products’ strength but also identify potential vulnerabilities. These independent audits include the US Department of Commerce in 2022, FTI Consulting in 2020, Booz Allen Hamilton in 2020, the Idaho National Laboratory (for the US Department of Homeland Security) in 2019, the US Department of Interior in 2019, and Kivu Consulting in 2018. The findings are consistent: Our cybersecurity/privacy practices are sound.
Any position based solely on country of origin limits competition, innovation, and possibly, endangers lives. DJI drones allow first responders to safely engage in life-threatening scenarios, inspect infrastructure otherwise not visible, and have been used to rescue hundreds of people in peril around the world. A rash, uninformed decision that limits access to our technology because of concerns about country of origin will literally cost lives.”
DJI spokesperson
DJI drones are popular, but some are said to “pose potential threats to national security,” according to a release from the Department of Defense in 2021.
Despite national security concerns, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have admitted to using the Chinese-made drones. Drones made by DJI are currently being used by Russia in the war in Ukraine.
Photo: A DJI Phantom 3 Pro Quadcopter drone is seen flying at sunset in Brandon. Tampa Bay Times (2017)
Sources: The Washington Examiner; Local 10; Click Orlando