The Biden administration said Thursday it was considering a new rule that could restrict or ban Chinese drones in the United States out of national security concerns.
In a statement, the Commerce Department said the involvement of foreign adversaries — particularly China and Russia — in the design, development, production and supply of drones could pose “an unnecessary or unacceptable risk to U.S. national security.” .
The notice asked private companies to comment on the scope and implications of the rule by March 4. The decision on what, if any, restrictions to impose on Chinese and Russian drones will be up to the Trump administration.
China and Russia have shown a willingness to compromise U.S. infrastructure and security through cyber espionage, the Commerce Department said, adding that the governments could use their laws and political situations to “co-opt private entities for national interests '.
In addition to the use of drones by hobbyists, the devices are used in several American industries. They help farmers monitor crops and spray for pests, inspect pipelines for the chemical industry, survey bridges and construction sites, and assist firefighters and other first responders.
But drones have evolved over the past decade and now have advanced cameras, receivers and artificial intelligence capabilities, fueling fears that they could be turned into a useful tool for a hostile government.
Companies based in China account for at least 75 percent of the U.S. drone market, a dominance that “offers ample opportunities for exploitation,” the Commerce Department said. It added that Russia accounted for a relatively small share of global drone sales, but that it had announced its intention to invest heavily in developing the domestic market.
Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo said in a statement that the proposed rule would be “an essential step in protecting the United States from vulnerabilities of foreign entities.”
She added that securing the supply chain of unmanned aircraft system technology was “critical to ensuring our national security.”
In its notice, the Commerce Department said drones could be used to damage physical infrastructure in the event of a collision, deliver an explosive payload or gather information about critical infrastructure, including the layout of buildings.
Furthermore, as critical infrastructure in the United States becomes increasingly dependent on drones, any attempts to disable them remotely would pose a national security risk. The department added that drone companies in China had in the past pushed updates to their devices to create no-fly restrictions that disabled them in conflict zones defined by the companies.
The notice said the Commerce Department was also considering whether there could be measures to mitigate risks and allow sales of Chinese drones to continue, such as certain design requirements or cybersecurity software.
The proposed rule is part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to investigate and eliminate vulnerabilities in high-tech products and communications infrastructure that collect vast amounts of data on Americans.
In September, the government decided to ban Chinese-developed software from internet-connected cars in the United States. The initiative was intended to prevent Chinese intelligence agencies from tracking the movements of Americans or using the vehicles' electronics as a gateway to the U.S. power grid or other infrastructure.
