DJI will no longer prevent drones from flying over airports, forest fires, and the White House.

For the past decade, DJI drones have not been able to easily fly over restricted areas of the United States. DJI’s software automatically stops flying over runways, power plants, public emergencies like wildfires, and the White House.

But confusingly, amid the biggest spate of drone mistrust in the U.S. in years and the incident of a DJI drone operator disrupting efforts to fight the LA wildfires, DJI has removed its strong geofence. DJI will no longer enforce “no fly zones” and will only provide warnings that can be ignored. This means that only common sense, empathy and fear of being apprehended by authorities can stop people from flying to prohibited places.

In a blog post, DJI describes this as “putting control back into the hands of drone operators.” DJI says technology like Remote ID, which publicly broadcasts the location of the drone and its pilot while in flight, “gives authorities the tools they need to enforce existing rules,” says Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI. The Verge.

However, it turns out that the DJI drone that damaged a Super Scooper plane fighting the Los Angeles wildfires was a sub-250-gram model that does not require remote ID to operate, forcing the FBI to “work backwards through investigative means.” I expect to do it. To find out who flew there.

DJI voluntarily created a geofencing feature. So it makes some sense for the company to get rid of it, since the U.S. government no longer seems to acknowledge its help, blocking imports of some drones and calling DJI the “Chinese military.” Company,” he announced, starting a virtual countdown clock to the import ban.

“The FAA does not require geofencing from drone manufacturers,” FAA spokesman Ian Gregor confirmed. The Verge.

But former DJI head of global policy Brendan Schulman doesn’t seem to think this is a move for the better. Here are a few selections he posted on X:

This is a surprising change in drone safety strategy that could potentially have a huge impact. This is especially true among drone pilots who are unfamiliar with airspace restrictions and high-risk areas.

Substantial evidence has emerged over the years that automated drone geofencing implemented using a risk-based approach has made a significant contribution to aviation safety.

Interesting times: Nearly a decade after a DJI drone infamously crashed on the White House lawn, DJI has removed the built-in geofencing feature that automatically prevented such incidents, replacing it with a warning that users can ignore. .

Below are questions sent to DJI and the company’s responses:

1) Can you confirm that DJI’s drones will no longer be prevented from taking off/flying to any location in the United States, including but not limited to military installations, public emergency areas such as wildfires, and important government buildings such as the White House?

Yes, this GEO update applies to all locations in the United States and is aligned with the FAA’s Remote ID goals. In this update, the previous DJI geofencing dataset has been replaced to display official FAA data. Areas previously defined as restricted areas (also known as no-fly zones) will be marked as enhanced warning areas, consistent with FAA-designated areas.

2) If it still prevents the drone from taking off/flying to some locations, where are those locations?

3) Did DJI make this decision in consultation with or at the direction of the U.S. government or any specific government agency, agency, or representative? So which one? If not, why not?

This GEO update aligns with principles set forth by aviation regulators around the world, including the FAA, and operators are responsible for ensuring compliance with the rules.

4) Has DJI conducted a prior risk analysis study and, if so, identified the potential for abuse? What possibilities do you see? If not, why not?

The previously installed geofencing system was a voluntary safety measure introduced by DJI more than a decade ago, when mass-produced small drones were newly entering the airspace and regulators needed time to establish rules for their safe use.

The FAA has since introduced remote ID requirements. This means that drones flying in the United States must broadcast information equivalent to the drone’s “license plate.” The requirement takes effect in early 2024, giving authorities the tools they need to enforce existing rules.

“This update has been in development for some time after similar changes were successfully implemented in the EU last year, with no evidence of increased risk emerging,” says Welsh. However, last year’s changes reportedly saw mandatory no-fly zones remain in place around UK airports.

Here in the US, Welsh seems to suggest that its app won’t go that far. “To be clear, if pilots keep their flight app up to date, the DJI Flight app will continue to voluntarily generate alerts if they attempt to fly into restricted airspace designated by the FAA,” he says. The Verge.