FCC Reopens Door to Chinese Toy Drones, with Tight Restrictions
The US Federal Communications Commission has reopened the door to importing new Chinese toy drones, but with strict conditions. The exemption applies to drones weighing no more than 150 grams, flying within line of sight at 100 meters or less, and lacking connectivity, cameras, and sensors. The move follows a Defense Department determination that these 'unsophisticated, low-risk' toys pose no national-security risk.
Key points
- The FCC has reopened the door to importing new Chinese toy drones, six months after banning new foreign-made drones.
- To qualify, drones must weigh no more than 150 grams, fly within line of sight at 100 meters or less, and lack connectivity, cameras, and sensors.
- The exemption is based on a Defense Department determination that these 'unsophisticated, low-risk' toys pose no national-security risk.
- The Pentagon's logic is that these drones are harmless without capabilities like range, endurance, sensing, payload, connectivity, and data collection.
- The FCC's decision aims to distinguish between harmless toy drones and more sophisticated drones that could pose a security risk.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has made a surprise move by reopening the door to importing new Chinese toy drones. This decision comes six months after the FCC banned new foreign-made drones outright.
The exemption is not as broad as it initially seems, however. To qualify, drones must meet strict conditions. They must weigh no more than 150 grams, fly within line of sight at distances of 100 meters or less, and lack connectivity, cameras, and sensors capable of surveillance or data gathering. Additionally, these toy drones must stay aloft for no more than 10 minutes.
The FCC's decision is based on a Defense Department determination that these 'unsophisticated, low-risk' toys pose no national-security risk. The Pentagon's logic is that these drones are harmless without capabilities like range, endurance, sensing, payload, connectivity, and data collection. The security concern was never the airframe as such, but rather what a capable drone can carry, see, store, and transmit.
The FCC's move aims to distinguish between harmless toy drones and more sophisticated drones that could pose a security risk. While the decision may provide relief to some manufacturers and consumers, it remains to be seen how effective these restrictions will be in preventing the importation of more advanced drones.
Sources
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