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| The Pentagon admits that DJI drones are safe |
After months of government bans on DJI drones, the Pentagon now understands that deployed drones can be safe.
Previously, lawmakers questioned whether the company had sent information to the Chinese government.
The Pentagon released a report saying: It is recommended that government agencies use two DJI drones confiscated by the government.
Last year, the Interior Ministry shut down all of its drones for fear that the Chinese government was spying.
The company has reportedly provided the Chinese government with surveillance technology for use in detention centers for Uyghur Muslims, and the US Department of Commerce has added it to its entity list.
The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) said it did not find any malicious code when analyzing the two drone models.
The Department of Homeland Security tested the DJI Mavic Pro and Matrice 600 Pro in 2019. They found no evidence of data being sent to a location where it shouldn't be sent.
The new government appears to have come to a similar conclusion today.
Another report focused on three DJI drones. Including the government version of the drones mentioned above, the results will be the same in early 2020.
The relationship between DJI and the US government:
The Pentagon report does not necessarily reflect the relationship between DJI and the US government. DJI is still on the Entity List, which prevents US companies from selling their technology for DJI use.
At the time of the Pentagon report, Congress was considering enacting a law that would ban the government from purchasing Chinese drones for a period of five years starting in 2023.
Instead, the government should rely on other certified drones from US and French companies.
Due to restrictions on DJI, other companies are making expensive drones to meet the needs of the government.
The government review will not prevent the purchase of DJI drones. Despite the allegations, DJI is still able to sell its consumer goods.
Lawmakers are still struggling to decide how to treat other Chinese products that are also seen as a safety risk.
The Ministry of Defense has canceled the name of Xiaomi as a Chinese military company of the Communist Party. However, it appears that the Biden government still intends to ban the use of Huawei products in US infrastructure.
The government has expressed concern about devices from Chinese companies such as ZTE and Huawei operating as part of its network infrastructure.
The government is considering removing the used parts. The US Federal Communications Commission estimated in September last year that the cost of replacing Chinese telecom equipment currently integrated into the US network would be $1.8 billion.