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Trump directed all U.S. agencies to outline the security risks
posed to the existing government drone fleet from drones built
by Chinese companies or by other countries deemed foreign
adversaries, including Russia, Iran and North Korea.
Trump's order also directs agencies to outline "potential steps
that could be taken to mitigate these risks, including, if
warranted, discontinuing all federal use of covered (drones) and
the expeditious removal of (drones) from federal service."
Last month, the U.S. Commerce Department added China's SZ DJI
Technology Co, the world's largest drone maker, to the U.S.
government’s economic blacklist, along with dozens of other
Chinese companies. A DJI spokesman declined immediate comment on
Monday.
In January 2020, the U.S. Interior Department grounded its fleet
of about 800 Chinese-made drones but said it would allow their
use for emergency situations.
U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt in October ordered a
halt to additional purchases of Chinese-made drones by the
department.
In May 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned
U.S. firms of the risks to company data from Chinese-made
drones. In a notice, DHS said U.S. officials have "strong
concerns about any technology product that takes American data
into the territory of an authoritarian state that permits its
intelligence services to have unfettered access to that data or
otherwise abuses that access."
DJI said last month it was disappointed by the Commerce
Department decision but noted that "customers in America can
continue to buy and use DJI products normally."
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Doina Chiacu; Editing by
Jonathan Oatis and Paul Simao)
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