Congress Members Ship Letter to USDA and CISA: DJI Responds to Rising Nationwide Safety Issues
In a latest letter to the U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA), 12 members of Congress expressed considerations about using Chinese language-manufactured drones in U.S. agriculture. The letter highlights the potential dangers posed by drones produced by Shenzhen DJI Innovation Know-how Co., Ltd. (DJI), citing nationwide safety and meals safety considerations.
These worries stem from fears that the Chinese language Communist Occasion (CCP) might use these drones to compromise the U.S. meals provide. DJI, the world’s main producer of drones, has responded by defending its merchandise and practices, calling the allegations unfounded.
Congressional Issues Over Meals and Nationwide Safety
The letter from the members of Congress emphasizes the strategic significance of meals safety and accuses the CCP of making an attempt to undermine the U.S. agricultural sector by means of unfair commerce practices and authorities subsidies. The lawmakers said, “Meals safety is nationwide safety and the CCP is actively making an attempt to undermine America’s world agricultural dominance.”
They additional warned that the Folks’s Republic of China (PRC) has elevated its possession of U.S. agricultural land and that Chinese language spies have stolen genetically modified seeds developed within the U.S. “Dominating the provision of agriculture drones is one other technique that the PRC is pursuing to jeopardize America’s meals provide,” the letter claimed.
In accordance with the lawmakers, DJI drones used for agriculture, particularly these geared up with aerosol allotting capabilities, have the potential for use as weapons. In addition they pointed to a report from the U.S. Division of Commerce, which classifies these drones as having “the potential for use as weapons supply platforms.” The congress members expressed concern that DJI’s drones could possibly be manipulated to hold out assaults or transmit delicate agricultural information to the CCP.
In addition they cited a cybersecurity steerage from CISA and the FBI, stating that using Chinese language-manufactured drones “dangers exposing delicate info to PRC authorities, jeopardizing U.S. nationwide safety, financial safety, and public well being and security.”
DJI Defends Its Position in U.S. Agriculture
DJI responded to the letter with a blog post titled The Truth About DJI’s Agriculture Drones, through which the corporate refuted the allegations and confused the constructive impression of its know-how on U.S. farming. DJI’s assertion claimed that the corporate’s drones have been instrumental in “driving yield will increase, lowering prices, and enabling extra sustainable and revolutionary farming practices.”
The weblog put up criticized the congressional considerations as “overblown” and prompt that proscribing entry to DJI drones may hurt each the agricultural trade and the communities that depend on it. DJI defined that its market dominance is because of innovation, reliability, and security, slightly than any unfair commerce practices.
In addressing the safety considerations, DJI emphasised that it has “constantly invested in common safety audits” since 2017 and follows finest practices for cybersecurity. The corporate said, “DJI drones are secure and align with finest observe cybersecurity.” The put up additional clarified that DJI is a privately held firm with no ties to the Chinese language navy, and its founder has managed the corporate since its inception in 2006. “We don’t manufacture military-grade tools, nor can we pursue enterprise alternatives for fight use or operations,” the weblog asserted.
The Broader Affect on U.S. Agriculture
Whereas the considerations about nationwide safety and meals safety are on the forefront of the controversy, each side agree on the significance of know-how in fashionable agriculture. The congressional letter warned that counting on Chinese language know-how for essential agricultural operations may make the U.S. meals provide weak to manipulation by the CCP. “If the success of the U.S. agricultural trade relies on American farmers’ entry to procuring and working Chinese language drones, then Communist China may have management over our nation’s meals provide,” the lawmakers wrote.
Then again, DJI highlighted how its drones help U.S. farmers by enhancing crop administration, lowering enter prices, and rising yields. “DJI’s agriculture drone options have confirmed to help sustainable farming and assist farmers incorporate precision agriculture strategies,” the corporate said. DJI additionally famous that its drones have created new enterprise alternatives for U.S. entrepreneurs, significantly in offering drone spraying providers.
Transferring Ahead: Addressing Safety and Innovation
The problem of Chinese language-manufactured drones in U.S. agriculture raises complicated questions concerning the stability between innovation and nationwide safety. DJI has known as for a transparent set of technology-based safety requirements that every one producers, no matter origin, should comply with. In its weblog put up, DJI said, “If these members of Congress are really keen on strengthening the U.S.’ agricultural capabilities and supporting farmers nationwide, they need to have interaction straight with farmers to see firsthand how they use drone applied sciences to optimize their operations.”
The congressional members have requested a briefing on efforts to mitigate the dangers of Chinese language-manufactured drones to U.S. agriculture by the tip of September 2024.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, an expert drone providers market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone trade and the regulatory setting for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the industrial drone area and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the trade. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising for brand new applied sciences.
For drone trade consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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