The world’s large commercial drone manufacturer is pondering a factory in the United States according to recent reports. Oh, and it doesn’t send flight data to China, just in case you were worried about that.
DJI Vice President and Regional Manager Mario Rebello said as much in a letter to a Senate subcommittee looking into the company and its practices. Aside from listing the numerous benefits of drones for consumers and otherwise, DJI’s Rebello also denied that the company ever shared data on anything from user flight logs to photos and videos without the user’s permission.
“DJI drones do not share flight logs, photos or videos unless the drone pilot deliberately chooses to do so […] this data stays solely on the drone and the pilot’s mobile device. DJI cannot share customer data it never receives,” the letter said.
Further, the letter said, “We believe industry and government have a shared responsibility to build on this momentum and keep our skies open for safe and secure commerce and innovation. Unfortunately, some witnesses who appeared before the Subcommittee want to limit competition, innovation, and the availability of drone technology based solely on its country of origin.”
With some 70% of the commercial drone market according to DPReview, DJI is a powerhouse for sure. And, being a Chinese company, it knows it is vulnerable to becoming the next Huawei so the company is taking proactive measures just in case. The company plans on repurposing a warehouse in California to manufacture drones.
“This new investment will expand DJI’s footprint in the U.S. so we can better serve our customers, create U.S. jobs, and strengthen the U.S. drone economy,” DJI said.
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[DPReview]
