\u201cIt\u2019s so much better \u2013 I just wish it could bang in boundary pegs for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kotare Consultants senior surveyor Michael Wilkie flies a DJI drone with a LiDAR camera to survey a new land development project near Cambridge. Photo \/ Mike Scott<\/p>\n
In days, DJI \u2013 the world\u2019s dominant commercial and consumer drone manufacturer \u2013 could effectively be banned from the United States over national security fears.<\/p>\n
In the US, the move has instigated plenty of social media commentary<\/a>, with commercial operators and hobbyists fearful of losing access to new products or software updates.<\/p>\n In New Zealand, where DJI drones are also common, the issue has largely flown under the radar.<\/p>\n So, should Kiwis share America\u2019s security fears of the Chinese-made drones?<\/p>\n DJI is estimated to control about 70% of the global consumer and commercial drone market.<\/p>\n Every day, across New Zealand, its drones undertake a range of tasks, improving efficiency and saving time.<\/p>\n They survey, film, inspect, spray and even wash buildings. They are used in fighting fires, assist in search and rescue and have military applications.<\/p>\n The Herald contacted DJI and Ferntech, a major supplier of DJI drones in New Zealand, seeking information on DJI\u2019s share of the local market. Neither had responded at the time of publication.<\/p>\n For Kotare Consultants, which has offices in Taup\u014d and Cambridge and a team of surveyors, engineers and planners focused on land development, DJI drones have become a core part of the business.<\/p>\n Cambridge-based managing director Ciaran Murphy says the company started using them five years ago and he has personally flown the company\u2019s drones for close to a decade.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always used DJI,\u201d Murphy says.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re at the forefront of the technology and they\u2019re also accessible, commercially. They\u2019ve done a good job for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Kotare\u2019s drone models have evolved from early Phantoms to the larger Matrice equipped with LiDAR, producing highly detailed terrain modelling.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really about the efficiency but also the massive amount of data that can be captured in a short period of time,\u201d Murphy says.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we can access areas that are, from health and safety points, a lot of risk for our employees.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are environments that used to be considered inaccessible \u2013 we can approach those a lot easier.\u201d<\/p>\n However, DJI could be added to the US Federal Communications Commission\u2019s \u201cCovered List\u201d<\/a> on December 23 as part of new defence legislation.<\/p>\n If that happens, the company would be blocked from selling or importing new wireless products into the US, effectively shutting it out of the American market.<\/p>\n It is expected drones already in use would not be grounded but future sales, imports, repairs and software updates would be restricted.<\/p>\n Critics of DJI say the drones and other company products could collect sensitive data that might be accessed by the Chinese Government.<\/p>\n DJI denies the allegations.<\/p>\n The company has been in Washington\u2019s crosshairs for years. It was placed on a Department of Defence list in 2022 as a \u201cChinese military company\u201d, a designation the firm also disputes.<\/p>\n To avoid the looming restrictions, DJI needs one of several US security agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, to conduct a formal audit of its products to assess whether they pose a national security risk.<\/p>\n No department has undertaken an audit.<\/p>\n DJI says the situation is driven less by security concerns<\/a> than by geopolitics and trade tensions. <\/p>\n On its official blog called Viewpoints, the company says it is willing to be scrutinised.<\/p>\n \u201cRemoving DJI from the US market without just cause or due process would only harm the hundreds of thousands of drone operators who use our products for civilian, creative, and commercial purposes,\u201d the company wrote. <\/p>\n \u201cDomestic manufacturers are not producing drones for these users so they will be left without access to the reliable tools they need to conduct their work.\u201d<\/p>\n Kotare Consultants has never experienced cyber security issues with DJI equipment and is comfortable with how its data is handled, Murphy says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe as a company have never had any cyber concerns of our own or any concerns about the data, or how it relates to our systems.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019d probably be a small, niche, amount of applications in this country where this probably should be a concern, possibly policing, military, that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n In New Zealand, a Five Eyes intelligence partner of the United States, no DJI restrictions are on the horizon.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre, part of the Government Communications Security Bureau, says agencies here assess technology on a case-by-case basis rather than automatically following overseas bans.<\/p>\n Decisions on using certain technologies should be made using the New Zealand Information Security Manual, which requires risks to be identified and mitigated.<\/p>\n The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said various government departments were responsible for their own due diligence using the Government Procurement Rules.<\/p>\n \u201cRule 26 sets out a risk assessment tool to support agencies to identify if there are national security risks in relevant goods and services, including their applicable use and potential access to sensitive data,\u201d said New Zealand Government Procurement general manager Michael Alp.<\/p>\n The Herald contacted several government agencies, including New Zealand Police, the Defence Force and the Ministry for Primary Industries. None raised concerns about their use of DJI products.<\/p>\n New Zealand Police confirmed it uses DJI drones for search and rescue, photographing scenes, investigations and tactical operations.<\/p>\n Tactical Operations Superintendent Penelope Gifford said the drones had proven effective across all work groups.<\/p>\n \u201cNZ Police continually assess the use of DJI products and work closely with our international partners, as some of them shift from using DJI to other products. At this time, NZ Police consider DJI to offer the best, cost-effective products on the market that offer a range of functionality suited for use by police,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Victoria University Wellington cyber security researcher Dr Ian Welch says the debate highlights a broader issue around trust in technology, regardless of where it is made.<\/p>\n Consumers were always advised to be vigilant and assess the risk and reward of various devices, he says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt comes down to your particular risk, what it is that you\u2019re recording . . . what are the implications of it?<\/p>\n \u201cLike if I\u2019m using it for a military application, would I use a Chinese drone? Maybe I\u2019ll think twice about that.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if I\u2019m a surveyor or I\u2019m a tradie and I\u2019m checking the roof, it\u2019s probably not so bad.\u201d<\/p>\n For businesses such as Kotare, a disruption like a ban on DJI products would be problematic.<\/p>\n Murphy estimates the company has about $100,000 invested in DJI equipment and associated software.<\/p>\n Replacing it with equivalent technology, including hardware, software and setup, would cost close to $300,000.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had to invest quite a lot of time to get the systems just right and what happens when you change the hardware, you change the software,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n In the US, the forthcoming ban could be dire for many businesses and operators who rely on DJI craft. <\/p>\n In an interview with PC Magazine, DJI\u2019s head of global policy Adam Welsh said about 450,000 US individuals use DJI drones to earn a living and it was estimated to be a US$116 billion ($201b) industry. <\/p>\nDJI Sky City, the global headquarters of the world’s leading consumer drone maker DJI, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
Kotare Consultants managing director Ciaran Murphy has been flying DJI drones for nearly a decade. Photo \/ Mike Scott<\/p>\n
A police operated drone in use over Auckland. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n
A DJI Matrice drone used by Kotare Consultants is equipped with a LiDAR camera. Photo \/ Mike Scott<\/p>\n