Interior Department Flip-Flops on Chinese Drones
The Interior Department has grounded its more than 800 drones, citing potential cybersecurity risks and the need to support U.S. drone production. In a report released in July 2019, it recommend using special DJI drones. DJI’s Government Edition drone ensures that drone data never leave the drone and therefore can never be shared with unauthorized parties including DJI.
The Interior Department’s order noted that the president had signed a memorandum in June stating that the domestic production capability for small unmanned aerial systems is essential to the national defense and that his agency is taking action for a variety of reasons, “which include cybersecurity, technological consideration, and facilitating domestic production capability.”
Meanwhile, DJI has two drone cybersecurity patent application publications this month. Whether these can be enforced while DJI is banned depends on a bill introduced in July 2019.
Related Posts
UAV 2020 Annual Update – No Signs of Fatigue from DJI
DJI did not slow down their patent filings in 2019 as shown by the publication of patent applications in 2020 continuing unabated. IBM…
Wing Does Not Like the New Drone ID Rule. Who Owns that Space?
Wing Aviation said the FAA’s new rule for UAVs to radio broadcast remote ID messages for tracking will have “unintended negative privacy…
Uber divests another company for $100M+. Good thing it had lots of patents…in ride-hailing
As part of its profitability strategy, Uber is turning over its unmanned aerial vehicle unit, Elevate, to Joby Aviation, which is…