Less than a week after a DJI drone collision grounded a firefighting plane battling the Los Angeles wildfires, the Chinese drone manufacturer announced it would discontinue geofencing restricted areas, including natural disaster zones, military bases, airports and landmarks like the White House.
Previously, DJI’s software automatically prevented drones from entering restricted airspace by halting their movement near geofenced boundaries. With the new update, the company will instead use Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data to label such zones as “Enhanced Warning Zones.”
Operators will receive in-app alerts about restricted airspace but retain the ability to ignore the warnings. The change, delivered via a software update, allows users to deactivate geofencing by updating the “FlySafe” feature in the DJI app.
In a blog post, DJI stated the policy change aims to place “control back in the hands of the drone operators, in line with regulatory principles of the operator bearing final responsibility.” The FAA has confirmed that geofencing is not legally required for drones and highlighted that Remote ID technology, which tracks drone locations, has been mandatory since March 2024. However, drones weighing less than 0.55 pounds are exempt from this requirement.
Critics, including Brendan Schulman, DJI’s former Vice President of Policy and Legal Affairs, raised concerns about the potential safety implications of removing geofencing. Schulman posted on X:
“Interesting timing: Ten years almost to the day after a DJI drone infamously crash-lands on the White House lawn, DJI has removed the built-in geofencing feature that automatically impedes such an incident, replacing it with warnings that the user can choose to ignore.”
Schulman added: “There was substantial evidence over the years that automatic drone geofencing, implemented using a risk-based approach, contributed significantly to aviation safety.”
The change also appears to have left some gaps with regard to restricted flight zones in the DJI Fly app, with one user sharing his observations on X:
“My only response to the community note is that DJI’s official DJI Fly app says that my drone can take off right now from Runway 27L at Philadelphia International Airport.”
This will require a level of education from drone operators in the U.S. to avoid unnecessary incursions into restricted airspace. This is something authorities are pushing for, but does not seem to be present just yet
The timing of DJI’s announcement coincides with increased scrutiny of the company in the U.S. Last year, the U.S. government added DJI to a list of Chinese military companies, prompting the company to file a lawsuit against the Department of Defense, alleging harassment and stigmatization. In response, DJI has highlighted its contributions to sectors like public safety and agriculture through a series of blog posts.
The removal of geofencing raises questions about the responsibility of drone operators. The FAA has reiterated that flying drones in restricted airspace or during emergencies, such as firefighting operations, is a federal crime. Violations can result in fines of up to $75,000, prison sentences of up to one year, or both.
Post Image Credit: redcharlie via Unsplash
