The U.S. Senate sent a letter to CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) due to the risks posed by DJI drones.
(Photo : Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
A drone is flown for recreational purposes as an airplane passes nearby in the sky above Old Bethpage, New York on September 5, 2015.
For the past few years, DJI's UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have been criticized because of the drone manufacturer's alleged ties with the Chinese government.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense even identified DJI as a Chinese military company; this detail was also highlighted in the latest letter from U.S. senators.
US Senate Warns CISA About DJI Drones
According to Security Magazine's latest report, the new letter was sent by a group of senators leading a bipartisan effort to urge CISA to assess DJI drones' potential risks.
(Photo : Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
An operator controls a drone using a remote transmitter for recreational purposes in the sky above Syosset, New York on August 30, 2015.
"We write today regarding the cybersecurity risks posed by the widespread use of dronesmanufactured by Shenzhen DJI Innovation Technology Co., Ltd," said the U.S. Senate in its official letter.
Involved senators explained that an "unacceptable security vulnerability could be presented if the use of DJI's drones continues.
They added that this could happen because of the drone manufacturer's identified connections to CCP (Chinese Communist Party).
They also pointed out that the use of DJI drones remains widespread in 2021 despite all various warnings; DJI reportedly controlled around 90% of the consumer market in North America in 2021.
What US Senate Wants From CISA
Because the use of DJI drones is still widespread, the U.S. Senate believed that the company might already be allowing CCP to have access to numerous proprietary information.
Senators said that they appreciate the efforts made by CISA to address the risks posed by DJI drones, especially the agency's 2019 "Industry Alert."
However, the U.S. Senate urges CISA to re-check its analysis of DJI drones' posed security risks.
The government department added that once CISA conducts its re-assessment, the results of the analysis should be released publicly through the National Cyber Awareness System.
As of writing, CISA hasn't confirmed if it will do the request of the U.S. Senate. You can expect to hear more announcements from both parties soon.
If you want to learn more details about the latest letter from the U.S. Senate to CISA, you can click here.
In other news, Pentagon's footage showed a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on a U.S. Air Force drone. We also reported about the new fighter jet deal, which was recently discussed by Japan, Italy, and U.K. ministers.
For more news updates about drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
Related Article: DJI is Gatekeeping Its Drones to Avoid Weaponization-Stops Delivery to Russia and Ukraine
