For more than a decade, you haven't been able to easily fly a DJI drone over restricted areas in the United States. DJI's software automatically blocks you from flying over runways, power plants, public emergencies like wildfires, and the White House.

But confusingly, DJI is moving away from its powerful drones amid the worst distrust of drones in years in the U.S., and amid incidents in which DJI drone operators hampered efforts to fight wildfires in Los Angeles. Geofencing. DJI will no longer enforce "no-fly zones" and instead provide only ignorable warnings - meaning only common sense, empathy and the fear of being caught by authorities will stop people from flying where they shouldn't place.

In a blog post, DJI described it as "putting control back into the hands of the drone operator." Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said technology like Remote ID, which can publicly broadcast the location of drones and their operators during flight, "gives authorities the tools they need to enforce existing rules." edge.

But it turns out that the DJI drone that damaged a Super Scooper aircraft in the Los Angeles wildfires is a model that weighs less than 250 grams and may not require a remote ID to operate, and the FBI predicts it will have to "investigate Work backwards” to find out who flew it there.

DJI created the geofencing feature voluntarily, so now that the U.S. government no longer seems grateful for its help and is blocking the import of some of its drones, calling DJI the "Chinese military," the company has some freedom from it It makes sense. Company” and began the countdown to a de facto import ban.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor confirmed: "The FAA does not require drone manufacturers to provide geofencing" edge.

But Brendan Schulman, the former head of global policy at DJI, doesn’t seem to think this is a good move. Here are some select phrases he posted to X:

This is a significant shift in drone safety strategies with potentially huge implications, especially for drone pilots who are less aware of airspace restrictions and high-risk areas.

There has been substantial evidence over the years that automated drone geofencing implemented using a risk-based approach makes a significant contribution to aviation safety.

Interesting timing: Almost a decade to the day after a DJI drone infamously crashed on the White House lawn, DJI has removed the built-in geofencing feature that automatically blocked such incidents, replacing it with one that users can choose to ignore. warn.

Here are the questions we sent DJI and the company's responses:

1) Can you confirm that DJI Drone will no longer prevent its drones from taking off/flying into any location in the United States, including but not limited to military installations, public emergency areas such as wildfires, and important government buildings such as the White House?

Yes, this GEO update applies to all U.S. locations and is consistent with the FAA's remote ID goals. With this update, the previous DJI geofencing data set has been replaced to display official FAA data. Areas previously defined as restricted areas (also known as no-fly zones) will appear as enhanced warning areas, consistent with FAA-designated areas.

2) If drones are still blocked from taking off/flying into certain locations, which locations are they?

3) Did DJI make this decision in consultation with or at the direction of the U.S. Government or any specific government agency, agency or representative? If so, which one? If not, why not?

This GEO update is consistent with the principles set forth by global aviation regulators, including the FAA, that operators are responsible for complying with the rules.

4) Has DJI conducted any risk analysis studies beforehand? If so, did it identify potential for abuse? What possibilities does it see? If not, why not?

The previously deployed geofencing system was a voluntary safety measure introduced by DJI more than a decade ago, when mass-produced small drones were new entrants to the airspace and regulators needed time to develop rules for their safe use.

The FAA has since introduced remote ID requirements, meaning drones flying in the United States must broadcast the equivalent of a drone "license plate." The requirement comes into effect in early 2024, giving authorities the tools they need to enforce existing rules.

Wales said: "This update has been in development for some time, following the successful implementation of similar changes in the EU last year, with no evidence of increased risk." However, last year's changes reportedly retained mandatory no-fly zones around UK airports.

In the United States, Wales seemed to suggest its application wouldn't go that far. "To be clear: If a pilot attempts to fly into FAA-designated restricted airspace, the DJI Flight app will continue to automatically generate warnings, provided the pilot keeps their Flight app up to date," he told edge.