The US government has issued an alert warning that Chinese-made drones could pose a cyber-espionage risk to American businesses and other organisations that use them.
The notice added that those using the flying aircraft for tasks related to national security or critical infrastructure were most at risk.The warning does not refer to a specific company.
But market-leader DJI said it had taken steps to keep its clients’ data secure.
“We give customers full and complete control over how their data is collected, stored, and transmitted,” the firm said in a statement.
“For government and critical infrastructure customers that require additional assurances, we provide drones that do not transfer data to DJI or via the internet, and our customers can enable all the precautions DHS [Department of Homeland Security] recommends.”
DJI accounts for more than 70% of the US market in drones costing more than $500, according to research firm Skylogic.
Yuneec – the second bestselling Chinese manufacturer – has also said that it gives users full control of their data.
“All our UAV [unmanned aerial vehicles] do not share telemetry or visual data with internal or external parties,” said Chris Huhn, the firm’s vice president of business development.
“Regardless of who you are – public authority, company or private individual – the drone data of your Yuneec drone always remains yours.”
The notice was issued on Monday by the US’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, according to CNN, which was first to report the development.
“The United States government has 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,” it quoted the memo as saying.
“China imposes unusually stringent obligations on its citizens to support national intelligence activities.”
It is not the first time the US has raised such concerns.
