BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A bipartisan bill in congress is looking to limit foreign-produced drones in the United States. Nearly 10 percent of Americans own a drone, and their use by government and police agencies is increasingly popular.
Some of those drones are used by local police departments in Western New York. Data obtained by the New York Civil Liberties Union and analyzed by the 7 News I-Team shows three local agencies are using drones that allegedly pose a security risk.
They include the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and Niagara Falls Police Department.
The Niagara County Sheriff's Office is monitoring to see how restrictions could impact their use of certain drones. But they will continue to use the drones as they provide a valuable public safety function, according to the department.
Drones made by Chinese companies like DJI are banned for government purchase in four states over the alleged risk. Both WKBW-TV and its parent company, E.W. Scripps, use DJI drone technology.
A bill in the U.S. Senate seeks to prohibit the FAA from providing federal funds to certain foreign drone companies and prohibit the FAA from purchasing those drones.
The NYCLU argues all drone use by the government should be tightly regulated.
“Drones really amplify the ability to surveil people and to spy on people,” said NYCLU Senior Privacy & Technology Strategist Daniel Schwarz. “There are valid use cases for drones. And we're not outright against the use of drones by the government. But we think there should be transparency and clear accountability.”
Just last year, the Department of Defense named DJI in a list of Chinese military companies operating in the United States. DJI wrote that it is not a military company in China, the United States or anywhere else.
The company argued that the allegations of its products posing a security risk are completely unfounded.
“Current efforts to restrict the use of our drones by government agencies are based on nothing more than conjecture and supposition, and accomplish nothing but to handicap first responders who deserve the best equipment available to them regardless of country of origin,” wrote a DJI spokesperson in a statement to 7 News.
According to a report by Drone Industry Insights, DJI controls more than 70% of the market.
