China’s DJI, the world’s leading drone manufacturer, has decided to remove its long-standing geofencing feature, which previously prevented drones from flying over restricted areas such as airports, wildfires, and the White House.
The Verge reports that Chinese drone manufacture DJI has made a significant change to its flight control software, effectively removing geofencing restrictions that have been in place for over a decade. Geofencing drones effectively creates invisible walls around sensitive locations like airports, preventing drone operators from purposefully or accidentally flying their drone into an area where they shouldn’t.
The geofencing feature, voluntarily implemented by DJI, had been designed to automatically prevent drones from flying over sensitive areas such as runways, power plants, public emergencies, and critical government buildings. However, the company has now chosen to place control back in the hands of drone operators, offering only a dismissible warning instead of enforcing strict no-fly zones.
DJI’s global policy head, Adam Welsh, explained to the Verge that this decision aligns with the introduction of Remote ID technology, which publicly broadcasts the location of a drone and its operator during flight. Welsh suggests that this technology provides authorities with the necessary tools to enforce existing rules, making the geofencing feature less critical.
However, the incident involving a sub-250-gram DJI drone damaging a Super Scooper airplane during the Los Angeles wildfires has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Remote ID in preventing such occurrences. The FBI expects to rely on investigative means to identify the drone operator responsible for the incident, as these smaller models may not require Remote ID to operate.
Former DJI head of global policy Brendan Schulman expressed reservations about the company’s decision, stating that it represents a remarkable shift in drone safety strategy with potentially enormous impacts, particularly among less informed drone pilots. Schulman highlighted the substantial evidence over the years that automatic drone geofencing, when implemented using a risk-based approach, had significantly contributed to aviation safety.
The timing of DJI’s decision is also notable, coming nearly ten years to the day after a DJI drone infamously crash-landed on the White House lawn. The removal of the built-in geofencing feature that had been implemented to prevent such incidents has led to questions about the company’s motives and the potential consequences of this change.
DJI maintains that the decision to remove geofencing aligns with the principles advanced by aviation regulators worldwide, including the FAA, which emphasize the operator’s responsibility to comply with rules. The company also stated that the update has been in development for some time, following similar changes successfully implemented in the European Union last year, which showed no evidence of increased risk.
Despite these assurances, concerns remain about the potential for abuse and the increased risk of drones flying in restricted areas. While DJI’s flight apps will continue to generate voluntary warnings if pilots attempt to fly into restricted airspace, the effectiveness of this measure in ensuring compliance remains to be seen.
Read more at the Verge here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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