DJI says DOI’s drone program review has “lack of credible evidence”

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

DJI says DOI’s drone program review has “lack of credible evidence”

DJI has responded to the Department of Interior’s decision to ground its drone program, which will see 810 government drones taken out of action.

www.commercialdroneprofessional.com

 

[R.Perry]

I can kind of understand their position. We civilians aren't photographing sensitive areas, or at least were aren't suppose to. We really don't know all the information the manufacturers may be capturing and that could lead to major security breaches. The fact that DJI can control where I can and can't fly tells me they are sticking their nose in where it doesn't belong. The very fact that they have access to where I'm flying does bother me, I don't need a communist country telling me what I can and can't do.
I have no problem with our government controlling where I can and can't fly, but not China.

 

[Recoveryone]

From what I have experienced of late Dji has only bent over backwards to accommondate our government concerns over NFZ. Its apparent that their is open communication between the two base on the more frequent Geofencing updates that have been coming out over the last year. Sometimes I think most of this is just political show dressing to backup our current political policy on trade.

 

[Philztoy]

Wasn't there a similar issue with computer chips where they found a back door was designed in for supposed espionage purposes?

By now if the chinese government did go through DJI they could have drone footage from all over the United States at their finger tips if they need it. So I think they probably do.

Every time my drone updates or I share something on the DJI apps I wonder if it is being logged somewhere.

If our military or government found some evidence or even potential of a back door in the DJI drones The government shouldn't use them.

it is an ingenious espionage tool. Build something that everyone wants or needs to use that sends GPS information with real time photos and video footage of evey inch of another country that we all willingly share. My conspiracy theorist tendencies think it is happening (why wouldn't it since the same type of thing tracks us on our phones and knows what we do. We became our own big brother).

The political climate right now makes it a little easier decision to cut them out at this time. But I hope it was for good reasons.

All I know is the I will never be able to escape into the wilderness at my hunting property since China (and lets be real probably our own government). Has every inch of it logged due to my frequent practice flights!

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Wasn't there a similar issue with computer chips where they found a back door was designed in for supposed espionage purposes?

By now if the chinese government did go through DJI they could have drone footage from all over the United States at their finger tips if they need it. So I think they probably do.

Every time my drone updates or I share something on the DJI apps I wonder if it is being logged somewhere.

If our military or government found some evidence or even potential of a back door in the DJI drones The government shouldn't use them.

it is an ingenious espionage tool. Build something that everyone wants or needs to use that sends GPS information with real time photos and video footage of evey inch of another country that we all willingly share. My conspiracy theorist tendencies think it is happening (why wouldn't it since the same type of thing tracks us on our phones and knows what we do. We became our own big brother).

The political climate right now makes it a little easier decision to cut them out at this time. But I hope it was for good reasons.

All I know is the I will never be able to escape into the wilderness at my hunting property since China (and lets be real probably our own government). Has every inch of it logged due to my frequent practice flights!

Because it;s so much easier to go through the cloud their servers and our drones than click a shutter on an overhead Chinese satellite (!)

 

[Philztoy]

Because it;s so much easier to go through the cloud their servers and our drones than click a shutter on an overhead Chinese satellite (!)

Well there is that.

But that doesn't fit very well in my conspiracy theory.

 

[Fred Garvin]

...But that doesn't fit very well in my conspiracy theory....

Don’t forget about Google Earth and Google Streetview......ALOT more info available there than all of my drone footage combined.....nobody seems to have a problem with those two.....

 

[PatR]

Because it;s so much easier to go through the cloud their servers and our drones than click a shutter on an overhead Chinese satellite (!)

It’s not just the cloud. There has been a couple very recent incidents of Chinese nationals caught photographing defense installation facilities. The latest such incident was only two weeks ago where the Chinese nationals illegally entered a military base in Florida.

IMO, there is ample evidence of Chinese agents trying to obtain American info any way they can. Like DJI, we cannot ignore their government mandate for every Chinese citizen or company to assist Chinese intelligence agencies.

 

[PatR]

Don’t forget about Google Earth and Google Streetview......ALOT more info available there than all of my drone footage combined.....nobody seems to have a problem with those two.....

Actually, many have problems with that. Enough that Google alters imagery for locations when requested by our government. Google Earth images are not recorded and released without first being reviewed for sensitive content by various agencies.

Those familiar with various military installations will tell you that overhead Google views are bot accurate. Some based may not be shown at all, a condition quite common for clandestine facilities in conflict areas. Also, military and other agencies are quite aware of different satellite capabilities snd orbital periods. Mobile items they don’t want viewed are moved accordingly.

There are other foreign satellite imagery companies that sell over heads as a service but many of them do similar “massaging” of their imagery, or refuse to provide sensitive content to foreign interests.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

It’s not just the cloud. There has been a couple very recent incidents of Chinese nationals caught photographing defense installation facilities. The latest such incident was only two weeks ago where the Chinese nationals illegally entered a military base in Florida.

IMO, there is ample evidence of Chinese agents trying to obtain American info any way they can. Like DJI, we cannot ignore their government mandate for every Chinese citizen or company to assist Chinese intelligence agencies.

I still can't get over the big deal for non-government types. What can my UAS provide that the evil Chinese can't get from better sources? A view of my dog house?

 

[PatR]

Lnow whatcha mean. I’ve never figured out why some people close their window curtains or build walls and put ceilings over things. When ya think about it, that’s not very “neighborly”, concealing your stuff from everyone. Shoot, in more temperate locations there’s really no reason to wear clothes. Much too much concern over all that privacy stuff.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

Lnow whatcha mean. I’ve never figured out why some people close their window curtains or build walls and put ceilings over things. When ya think about it, that’s not very “neighborly”, concealing your stuff from everyone. Shoot, in more temperate locations there’s really no reason to wear clothes. Much too much concern over all that privacy stuff.

Easy answer then, don't fly DJI.

 

[PatR]

Until it becomes a law all my movements are tracked and recorded, I won’t unless their equipment is mandated and provided for the job or activity. Not a big deal really.

 

[R.Perry]

Many of civilians think of espionage as something that happened in the past, I'm sure it is very active today. I remember my dad making a comment about the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M. His comment was "That plane came right of the drawing boards of Hughes H-1. There were other claims as well, one being the British claimed it was copied from the F.5 Gloster. Personally I don't think Horiskoski copied either aircraft, I think he got access to the technology we had developed and designed the Zero. I think the Japanese copied the Prat radial engine to a tee. The radial engine became one of the strongest work horses prior to the jet engine.
I said all that to say I believe many countries have capitalized on technology that we created. While in the Navy I was involved in Anti Submarine warfare, even back then the technology way ahead of what other countries had, and we made every effort to keep it that way. i wouldn't put it past the Chinese to try to use whatever they could to gain access to some of our secrets, even using our own drones.

 

[Meta4]

By now if the chinese government did go through DJI they could have drone footage from all over the United States at their finger tips if they need it. So I think they probably do.

it is an ingenious espionage tool. Build something that everyone wants or needs to use that sends GPS information with real time photos and video footage of evey inch of another country that we all willingly share.

So how do you suppose that your drone is transmitting all of your photos and videos to anyone?
And why do all the conspiracy folks imagine that even if DJI did get their hands on your images and video, that it would have any espionage value to anyone?
It's the most improbable intelligence gathering method and even if it was possible, would be very, very unlikely to ever turn up anything of value.

Still the idea always appeals to some folks.

 

[R.Perry]

So how do you suppose that your drone is transmitting all of your photos and videos to anyone?
And why do all the conspiracy folks imagine that even if DJI did get their hands on your images and video, that it would have any espionage value to anyone?
It's the most improbable intelligence gathering method and even if it was possible, would be very, very unlikely to ever turn up anything of value.

Still the idea always appeals to some folks.

I think the concern is with government people using the drones in area's that need high levels of security, such as Area 51, Edwards AFB, China Lake, and many others. As for the private citizen, I don't believe there is much concern.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

I think the concern is with government people using the drones in area's that need high levels of security, such as Area 51, Edwards AFB, China Lake, and many others. As for the private citizen, I don't believe there is much concern.

Speak for yourself, I don't want the gov'mnt knowing my dog talks to me...

 

[PatR]

You just had to post a “tin hat” picture.

Couple weeks ago I had a meeting with a person that wanted to discuss various surveillance methods. The reason is not pertinent. At first he gave the appearance of being serious and having something to share. That didn’t last very long, and went into the sewer when he mentioned he was wearing a foil lined cap. End of meeting...

On a different note it seems many think that espionage and surveillance is done to obtain a massive, one time discovery. With the exception of web based hacks, it’s usually not. What usually happens is a long process that collects many small pieces of information that analysts link together to make a “big picture”. Lot’s of small things that by themselves are meaningless tell a very clear story when collated. Changes, movement, developments, routes, patterns, schedules, are all well defined with enough small pieces of info. That’s one of the ways we found IED’s. We looked at roads from above many, many times to see when something looked different from all the times before. When something changed there was usually cause for a closer look.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

You just had to post a “tin hat” picture.

Couple weeks ago I had a meeting with a person that wanted to discuss various surveillance methods. The reason is not pertinent. At first he gave the appearance of being serious and having something to share. That didn’t last very long, and went into the sewer when he mentioned he was wearing a foil lined cap. End of meeting...

Dang, you get all the cool clients....

Link analysis was my forte as a police detective. Anyone watching Homeland is pretty much aware of intelligence collection methods, Pat. I still fail to see how a DJI video of my doghouse will lead to Chinese Armageddon.

 

[Fred Garvin]

...I still fail to see how a DJI video of my doghouse will lead to Chinese Armageddon....

He has a doghouse ——> He has a dog ——-> He must have nice stuff ——> Chinese working class rebels ——> Russia intervenes ——-> Conflict escalates to Japan ——-> North Korea attacks South Korea ——> US becomes involved ——-> Pakistan nukes India ——-> US, Russia, China respond in kind ——-> End of the world.

All because DJI saw your doghouse.