Here’s DJI’s Response To The ADF Grounding Its Drones

Here’s DJI’s Response To The ADF Grounding Its Drones

Earlier today, it was reported that the Australian Defence Force grounded its fleet of DJI drones — after the US Army did the same thing last month — on security fears. Around 40 drones were taken out of active service in early August on concerns of “user vulnerabilities”, and were out of action for a fortnight while an investigation took place. The popular drone manufacturer has released a statement saying that it makes drones for peaceful purposes, not military customers, and that the company has “no way of knowing who they are or what they do with them”.

The Australian reported today the assessment by the ADF took two weeks, and that the drones were back in the air on August 21. They’re used for military exercises, but their exact purpose has not been clarified.

DJI recently released a software update that would halt any internet traffic from its flight control apps — which occurs if the mode is not activated, apparently downloading maps and gathering geospatial information.

From DJI:

As reported in a recently published media story, the Australian Department of Defence (ADF) confirmed that they will conduct an assessment of all commercial off-the-shelf drones. DJI stands ready to support the ADF’s assessment and welcomes the ADF to contact us directly if they have any inquiries into our technology.

DJI makes civilian drones for peaceful purposes. They are built for personal and professional use, and are not designed for military use. DJI does not market its products for military customers, and if military members choose to buy and use DJI products as the best way to accomplish their tasks, we have no way of knowing who they are or what they do with them.

As the world’s leading manufacturer of civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, safety and security are top priorities for our customers. Just last month, DJI announced that it is developing a new local data mode that stops internet traffic to and from its flight control apps, in order to provide enhanced data privacy assurances for sensitive government and enterprise customers. More here.

Around the globe, businesses and governments rely on DJI to provide an aerial perspective on their work to save time, save money and sometimes even save lives. Even in highly sensitive applications involving critical infrastructure, customers use DJI products with confidence that they can accomplish their tasks. DJI has worked hard to earn its reputation as the drone industry’s leading innovator, and we will continue to provide solutions that our customers can depend on. If any of our customers have questions or concerns about DJI’s technology, we ask them to contact us directly so we can work to address them.


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.