U.S. Based - What will you do IF....

[InspectorTom]

Good points by Russ about a possible/probable grandfather clause, economic impact of outright banning of DJI drones, and work-arounds like air gapping (possible download of DJI drone firmware updates onto USB drives?). I'm no expert on the technical side of things but what I am sure of is, if there is a will there is a way (to make it work).

 

[Droning on and on...]

I'll point out again that whatever concerns the Intel community has about the sea of consumer DJI drones can very likely be thwarted at the network.

I feel the gubmint has an obligation to exhaust that remedy first, before they execute a mass "taking", with a detailed explanation and example of why it's so vital to do so.

 

[Droning on and on...]

There's another far less draconian way to do this.

Earlier in my career, a project I was involved with for the Army required the code we developed be escrowed with a secure third party, and 2 Army software engineers were a part of the project, reviewing all changes and releases.

Their participation really wasn't intrusive, our company owned the code, and we were free to reuse it in an commercial applications. The practices were to protect National Secuity, not classified military tech.

Congress could require something like this, not just from DJI, but anyone that wants to sell drones to any government agency, at any level.

 

[ericole]

I have alternative drones, but even if this Bill becomes Law, I will keep flying my Mavic 3 until they pry it from my cold dead hands.
I have emailed my Representative in regards to H.R. 2864 , he responded on something total unrelated to drones, which proves Congresscritters are out of touch or don't care.

I HATE when they do that. I don’t want a canned response or something unrelated. They represent ME and my district, not the entire country.

 

[rickmurray1989]

I will continue my professional photography and writing business. I will not invest in any more drones.

 

[mavic3usa]

TikTok lawsuit; would be epic if they won; however, it is unlikely for reasons you know why. Lesson to DJI:

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/07/tiktok-sues-us-government-says-ban-violates-first-amendment.html

 

[Shuttersky597]

I am trying to put together a video demonstating how easy it is to gather information from cell phones, smart televisions, home electronics, all while protecting from drones flying over at 250 plus feet with no audio.
Going to really show how foolish and insecure we really are.
It has people standing outside of homes pretending to be talking on phones while spying into windows and recording conversations in their yards. Also has secret and confidential meetings show information on a large screen smart TV with Chinese electronics inside.
It is going to raise more than a few eyebrows.

 

[mavic3usa]

Another story comparing the TikTok situation to DJI. Personally I think it's too late to make a difference, at this point the situation is already baked. The best defense would have been to bolster and shore up the drone defense long ago such that an aggressive attack would not have been possible in the first place. I think it's unlikely the DJI ban will pass but like other similar attacks, they come in waves and will likely fail many times before they ultimately pass once which is all that counts. At this point, I think we need to prepare to take the battle from the legislative arena to the judicial arena.

DJI is urging all pilots to 'get involved' amid threat of US drone ban

A potential DJI ban would impact all drone users, whether they fly for fun, business, or government purposes. Here's what is happening...

dronedj.com

 

[Fat Pappy]

I’m not a tax guy and this is not tax advice. THBS, it will be interesting, should a bill permanently grounding your drone become law, what the tax guys will do with the casualty loss deduction.

 

[melissapeterss]

Even though Skydio and Kodi Parrot don't cater for the 'hobbyist' market any more, the Skydio 2 and the Anafi's are still relevant and sophisticated tools capable of fine control and excellent picture quality.

 

[Scout Aerial]

I have alternative drones, but even if this Bill becomes Law, I will keep flying my Mavic 3 until they pry it from my cold dead hands.
I have emailed my Representative in regards to H.R. 2864 , he responded on something total unrelated to drones, which proves Congresscritters are out of touch or don't care.

I agree for the most part, but if they put pressure on DJI, we're grounded. I tried inspecting a church roof in clear air space (but near a military base) and the props wouldn't even spin. DJI NFZ. Had to get approval from the FAA and the military base and coordinate the flight in real time and present evidence to DJI before I could fly.

 

[anotherlab]

...

If you want to keep track of these bills, join us at Drone Advocacy Alliance (Drone Advocacy Alliance - Home). You can also use our "take action" page to send your Congressional folks an email explaining what those bills would do to this industry and hobby.

I wrote to my representative, Paul Tonko (NY-20th District) and he is supporting H.R. 2864. I was surprised by that one.

 

[FormerCyclist]

From my Congressional Representative:

From: Congressman Scott Peters <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, May 31, 2024 at 7:43 AM
Subject: Responding to your message

​ Dear Mr. name deleted Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts regarding H.R. 2864, the Countering CCP Drones Act. I appreciate hearing from you on this important topic. H.R. 2864 adds video surveillance equipment produced by DJI Technologies, a Chinese drone-making company, to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) list of communications equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to United States national security. This bill would ban DJI Technologies from operating on United States communications infrastructure. DJI Technologies is already included on a United States Department of Defense blacklist of companies with ties to the Chinese military. Although I appreciate concerns about this bill's impact on drone use for recreation and business purposes, I voted to pass it out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on a 43-0 bipartisan vote. I supported this bill in committee to ensure that the Chinese military does not have access to vast amounts of American data and imagery. Please know that I will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation come before the full House of Representatives for a vote. Thank you again for contacting me. Last year, I received more than 100,000 calls, emails, and letters from constituents across the district on a wide range of issues. With a lot of help from my staff, every communication is read, and everyone gets a response. If you have any further concerns on this or any other matter, I hope you’ll be in touch. To stay updated on how I’m working to represent the 50th District, please visit scottpeters.house.gov to sign up for my e-Newsletter, like us on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter @RepScottPeters. Sincerely, Scott Peters Member of Congress ​

 

[anotherlab]

From my Congressional Representative:

From: Congressman Scott Peters <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, May 31, 2024 at 7:43 AM
Subject: Responding to your message

"I supported this bill in committee to ensure that the Chinese military does not have access to vast amounts of American data and imagery."

What proof exists that DJI was sending data back to the Chinese government?

Even if that was the case, DJI can supply the source code to their Go, Go4, Go Fly apps to show that surveillance data is not being sent back. They could open-source their app for that matter.

If I was going to ban made in China, I think I would start the phones. They banned Huawei from using US technology, but they didn't ban iPhones being made in China.

 

[Droning on and on...]

What proof exists that DJI was sending data back to the Chinese government?

Why do you think it doesn't exist just because it hasn't been shared with you?

Even if that was the case, DJI can supply the source code to their Go, Go4, Go Fly apps to show that surveillance data is not being sent back. They could open-source their app for that matter.

Is it your judgement that a nefarious actor gathering intel in this manner would show the offending source code to their target? Is there an alternative they might surrender instead?

I have no idea if China is using DJI to spy on the US. I'm highly skeptical.

I'm also not so naive as to think everything the US military and intelligence communities know about these activities is, or can be known by me.

Not by a long shot.

 

[Prop Wash]

@FormerCyclist - You got a lot more than I did from my representive, Kevin Kiley - R - CA, 3rd Congressional District. I got a "Thanks for writing me about your concerns" letter.
My question about what Mr. Peter's said. He voted to pass it out of committee, but he "will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation come before the full House of Representatives for a vote." Doesn't mean he will vote any differently. I guess being a representative for the people who put them in office means they how they want and not how their constituents want.