By Dr. William Austin
Welcome to the threat of modern international spying: TikTok is getting the headlines right now, and Congress is acting.
But what about Chinese-manufactured drones? If TikTok and its generally quirky posts are raising a red flag to the safety of our country, where does that leave drones?
Chinese-made drones, which flood the U.S. market, have earned increased scrutiny for the extensive useof their products by individual pilots and commercial and governmental agencies.
Even before TikTok took center stage, suspicions regarding Chinese drone involvement in espionage activities have cast a shadow over their dominance of the marketplace. Along with these well-reasoned and escalating concerns, advocates of U.S. national-security interests are now also pushing for laws requiring the replacement of Chinese drones with alternatives produced by American manufacturers.
Unfortunately, this laudable goal is full of complexities and challenges – but both can be met with research and innovation.
Whether for recreational hobbyists or professional cinematographers, geographic-information-system experts, planners, mappers, entrepreneurs, first responders, or government agencies, Chinese drones provide a cost-effective quality solution. The affordability, advanced features and undeniable reliability of Chinese drones have ensured their adoption across most industries throughout the globe.
Almost as quick as their adoption and proliferation, Chinese drones were plagued by persistent allegations of espionage and security risks. Notably, the Chinese communist government’s tight grip on its corporations, coupled with suspicions and some evidence of backdoor access and data harvesting, have generated concern from many foreign governments – particularly from the United States and its allies.
As a response to these escalating concerns, many are advocating for greater action regarding national security by calling for the replacement of Chinese drones with alternatives from American or allied nation manufacturers. The rationale behind these calls for a ban are designed to supposedly mitigate the espionage risks associated with Chinese drones.
The goals are to safeguard our sensitive information while preserving our national interests and safety. Many argue that the ban of Chinese drones would support domestic unmanned-aircraft systems (UAS) industries and enhance economic growth while encouraging strategic autonomy and technological independence for the United States.
But is American manufacturing positioned and supported to meet this challenge?
Unfortunately, the global UAS market already is embedded with – and frankly, reliant on – the Chinese dominance. Any attempt to outlaw Chinese drones would necessitate a simultaneous substantial investment in production research and development and in manufacturing infrastructure, and a renewed emphasis on fair regulatory frameworks that better cultivate a competitive domestic industry capable of matching the scale, affordability and innovation offered by Chinese competitors.
Even though American manufacturers promise more stringent security protocols and assurances for data integrity, recent experience has taught us that no technology is impervious to vulnerabilities or exploitation by bad actors.
Rather than emerging with knee-jerk reactionary legal requirements, legislators, policymakers and drone stakeholders will be better served by adopting a sensible and nuanced approach that balances competing priorities and interests. Allied governments should collaborate with their home-grown manufacturers to establish more security standards and compliance mechanisms that can better mitigate risks and enhance trust in drone technology.
Investing in marketplace research and innovation is a better solution to propel the development of secure and resilient drone technologies in the U.S.
Rather than overregulating the industry, Congress should allocate resources toward advancing drone-related industries of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and cryptographic solutions to help strengthen UAS systems against emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
Encouraging collaboration between academia, industry and government agencies can generate breakthroughs in drone technology while also building a renewed system of innovation and entrepreneurship.
In simpler terms, we are attempting to deal with complex realities with simplistic solutions: “Just get rid of Chinese drones.”
We forget that we have no real reliable replacements, at least not at cost-effective pricing. And we are stuck with the same governmental body that as of yet is still trying to figure out Facebook. God help us all.
Dr. William Austin is President of Warren Community College in Washington Twp., N.J.,and Chief Pilot of Warren Unmanned-Aircraft Systems.
