China-based drone manufacturer DJI has changed geofencing restrictions on its drones in the US, removing no-fly zones from its software after having them in place for about 10 years. The company says this follows a similar software update a year ago in Europe and aligns with US Federal Aviation Administration rules for drone pilots in the United States.
The company said in its blog post about its update that the changes took place on Jan. 13 and that going forward, users of its Fly and Pilot apps will see Federal Aviation Administration data instead of DJI’s geofencing data in regards to what are now called “Enhanced Warning Zones,” where operators can see locations the FAA designates as controlled airspace.
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Instead of disabling flight in what DJI previously called Restricted or No-Fly Zones, pilots will get a safety warning they can bypass.
In the post, DJI said that rules about flight area were sparse when the company introduced the feature in 2013.
“The geofencing system was created as a voluntary built-in safety feature to help foster responsible flight practices and prevent DJI drone operators from unintentionally flying in restricted airspace, such as around government buildings, airports, or prisons,” the post said.
The timing of the update comes as California grapples with a wildfire catastrophe that has put drones back in the spotlight. An incident in which a drone disrupted a firefighting plane and arrests related to drones flying in wildfire areas are not helping the reputation of drones during the crisis, but drones have proven useful in past wildfire incidents in helping track property damage and capturing footage of the destruction.
The company told the website The Verge that the geofencing update applies to the entire US, and that it’s complying with FAA rules and a new system that has made geofencing redundant.
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Since geofencing was introduced, the company said in a statement, “The FAA has introduced Remote ID requirements, which means that drones flown in the US must broadcast the equivalent of a ‘license plate’ for drones. This requirement went into effect in early 2024, providing authorities with the tools needed to enforce existing rules.”
The Verge pointed out that DJI’s former head of global policy, Brendan Schulman, has been critical of the decision in a series of posts on X, writing, “There was substantial evidence over the years that automatic drone geofencing, implemented using a risk-based approach, contributed significantly to aviation safety.”