Police, fire and other government agencies across Florida must ground millions of dollars in aerial drones because of a new state rule banning the agencies from using devices made by China-based DJI.
The DJI drones are among the most widely used in the world, but the DeSantis administration said they pose a security threat and did not include them on a list of approved drone manufacturers. In addition to a Florida Statute change that went into effect at the beginning of 2023, requiring all government agencies to use drones only from approved manufacturers, another rule went into effect Wednesday.
The Unmanned Aerial Systems Minimum Security Requirements rule prohibits government agencies from purchasing or using any drone made by a manufacturer in a “foreign country of concern,” which includes China.