It started in May, 2019, when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) sent out an alert stating that ‘drones manufactured in China are a potential risk to an organization’s information.’ From there, it escalated, and by the end of 2020, the U.S. government added drones manufactured by Dajiang Innovations, better known as DJI, to its economic blacklist.
Recently, an audit conducted by the Pentagon cleared two of DJI drones built for government use. In a summary first obtained by The Hill, officials found ‘no malicious code or intent’ and conclude they are ‘recommended for use by government entities and forces working with U.S. services.’ The rest of the report, released on May 6th, remains classified.
The recent news from the Pentagon isn’t the first time a defense department has reached the conclusion that DJI drones are secure for use.https://t.co/kqGxrRpKop
— Brendan Schulman (@dronelaws) June 2, 2021
‘This U.S. government report is the strongest confirmation to date of what we, and independent security validations, have been saying for years – DJI drones are safe and secure for government and enterprise operations. DJI believes defining specific standards and requirements, regardless of a drone’s country of origin, is the best way to ensure the security of drone data,’ says a statement released by DJI’s Adam Lisberg.
An independent audit conducted last June by consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton revealed there wasn’t any evidence suggesting that DJI drones were transferring critical data to the Chinese Communist Party. The latest findings from the Pentagon may very well give DJI ammunition to campaign for reinstatement of its drones for government use, even if only two models have been analyzed at this time.