US Senators See Security Threat from DJI, Ask Renewed Assessment

(Bloomberg) — Sixteen US senators asked security officials to assess possible threats posed by SZ DJI Technology Co. drones, saying the widely used devices could be used to inform Chinese officials about critical infrastructure such as pipelines, railways and power stations.

Shenzhen-based DJI has links to the ruling Chinese Communist Party, and its drones “may present an unacceptable security vulnerability,” lawmakers from both parties said in the letter. Signers included Senator Mark Warner, the Virginia Democrat who is chairman of the Select Intelligence Committee, and Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican.

The senators asked Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, to have the agency “revisit” its analysis of security risks regarding DJI. The agency in 2019 said the US government has “strong concerns” about Chinese drones, the lawmakers said.

The use of DJI drones in the US is widespread, with the company controlling almost 90% of the consumer market in 2021, the senators said.

The company did not immediately respond Wednesday evening to an email requesting comment.

The cybersecurity agency, part of the Homeland Security Department, declined to comment and will respond directly to the senators, according to Tess Hyre, a spokeswoman.