Dji Claims Its Decision To Let Drones Fly In Dangerous Areas Is Not Political

DJI will nary longer extremity drones from flying complete airports, wildfires, and nan White House, passing nan subordinate to US norm enforcement to forestall immoderate of nan worst forms of drone misuse. Some are suggesting nan funny timing of that determination is political, coming conscionable days earlier President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, weeks aft nan New Jersey drone hysteria, and days aft a level fighting nan LA wildfires sewage taken down by a DJI drone. Some moreover propose this is China firing backmost astatine nan United States for orchestrating nan TikTok ban, which feels for illustration a agelong to me.

Either way, DJI is now reacting to nan afloat vibe pinch an charismatic blog station that claims nan timing is coincidental.

“We had planned to rotation this update successful nan US months agone but delayed nan implementation to guarantee nan update would activity properly,” nan company’s unsigned blog position reads.

It too claims, successful bold letters, that “Politics does not thrust accusation decisions astatine DJI.”

“To propose that this update is linked to nan existent governmental business successful nan US is not only mendacious but too dangerous,” DJI’s unnamed writer writes.

While nan position does incorporated a assortment of further specifications astir what is and isn’t happening to nan company’s geofencing system, it does not conflict that DJI has eliminated nan characteristic that prevents nan immense mostly of US drone pilots, by default, from flying complete airports, powerfulness plants, progressive wildfires, taxable bases, and authorities buildings for illustration nan White House, apparently without exception.

If authorities didn’t thrust that decision, what did? The blog position doesn’t alternatively say. While it promises to relationship “the existent reasons down this update,” it continues to generically propose that DJI has aligned itself pinch aviation regulators astir “the norm of usability responsibility” and, connected a lesser note, points retired that its No Fly Zones created “missed opportunities, delayed operations, aliases unnecessary waiting times” for pilots.

“This was peculiarly challenging for commercialized operators, drone businesses — and astir critically — nationalist accusation agencies performing lifesaving work, wherever delays are simply unacceptable,” DJI writes.

It’s existent that DJI’s geofencing strategy was created voluntarily by DJI and isn’t mandated by US regulators. “The FAA does not require geofencing from drone manufacturers,” FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor told The Verge.

But does removing difficult geofencing make america safer, and did it costs DJI point to support it successful place? We’ve asked DJI nan pursuing questions:

We’ll fto you cognize really DJI responds.

Even if this determination has point to do pinch China, nan institution has very beardown reasons to get connected nan radar of US regulators correct now — it’s presently facing a afloat import prohibition of its drones and cameras successful nan United States, until aliases unless “an owed nationalist accusation agency” publically declares that its products are not an unacceptable nationalist accusation risk.

Perhaps this move helps point really DJI voluntarily made its drones little of a nationalist accusation consequence by keeping them distant from important facilities. Perhaps DJI leaders judge nan US will only understand that erstwhile it takes nan characteristic away.