Chinese drones are spying on Americans

Steve L Reid · Dec 26, 2020

Meta4 said:
That piece is just recycling old nonsense that's been debunked many times in the last few years.

Wrong!!

Tzushanshen · Dec 26, 2020

maintenanceguy said:
Everything that goes through a Chinese server is available to the CCP. I'm sure that detailed video of our airports, military bases, electrical grid, radio infrastructure, bridges, power plants, and lots of other stuff is of interest.

The U.S. is literally assassinating people by drone. There is nothing worse than that.

Worsedog · Dec 26, 2020

Anyone know which aluminum producer makes most of the foil for the domestic market? I have a few bucks I could risk on the upsurge in the aluminum foil hat market.

I imagine if the volume of data needed to transfer useful photos or video was actually being uploaded from our sUAS devices a statistically significant number of us would have noticed by now.

Additionally if they could see my video, which they can't as I operate the tablet in airplane mode and my network security would detect the unusual amount of outgoing traffic, but if they could, the most "exciting" thing they would see would be my neighbor a few houses down that diddles herself floating in her pool, especially if she knows she is being watch surreptitiously.

The Kid · Dec 26, 2020

koopyetz said:
Chinese Drones Are Spying on Americans

The U.S. government at the federal, state, and local levels is using Chinese drones that the Chinese Communist Party is exploiting for espionage. That is the public conclusion of a branch of the Department of Homeland Security. Citing “security concerns,” other departments have...

news.yahoo.com

I would think that it would be beyond even China's resources to monitor or review the video of 1000's of drone's video footage that does make it to the net. Think about it..how many drone operators are actively flying and recording images and videos of military bases and secret military installations? Very few, I would imagine.

These 'spy' reports are nothing more than elaborate disinformation created to increase our distrust of the Chinese, who, as we know, are our enemy. (sic)

elborak · Dec 26, 2020

Steve L Reid said:
Wrong!!

Hard to refute a well reasoned argument like that...

simsurf · Dec 26, 2020

maintenanceguy said:
Or the footage from their own spy satellites.

But our drone footage has much higher resolution than google maps and shows American infrastructure in much greater detail and from many different angles. They would be fools not to tap into that as a intelligence resource. We would surely do the same given the opportunity.

Or they could just get a nearmaps subscription as in Australia that do regular runs of aerial photography at a much higher resolution or lidar data etc etc. The concept is ridiculous.

Cookedinlh · Dec 26, 2020

Funny how the "capitalists" "free enterprisers" and "Free marketeers" are the only ones complaining about the competition. If american drones were better or cheaper we'd be buying them . . then who would complain about the NSA Data Center in Utah or the Texas Cryptologic Center in San Antonio. . . don't want to be tracked? . . . crush your phone and stop surfing the web. . . Just bought the Mavic 2 Advanced. . .can't wait

Brojon · Dec 26, 2020

Lastrexking said:
Or, they could just look on Google maps....

Or even download B4UFLY

Hi-Flyer · Dec 26, 2020

RTH = Return To Hong Kong?

Thomas B · Dec 26, 2020

Hi-Flyer said:
RTH = Return To Hong Kong?

No... RTH is standard for “return to homepoint”
Return to Hong Kong is RTHK.

Rudiger · Dec 26, 2020

JackL said:
I hope someone takes every last bit of drone imagery and makes a super high res, fully interactive, 3D map of the entire world.

On that topic, I stumbled across this video about Microsoft Flight Simulator the other day
How Microsoft Flight Simulator Recreated Our Entire Planet

lookout · Dec 26, 2020

Rudiger said:
On that topic, I stumbled across this video about Microsoft Flight Simulator the other day
How Microsoft Flight Simulator Recreated Our Entire Planet

Do you really want to try a flight simulator landing in the real thing?

Ooops! Dropped the mouse again...

lookout · Dec 26, 2020

Cookedinlh said:
Funny how the "capitalists" "free enterprisers" and "Free marketeers" are the only ones complaining about the competition. If american drones were better or cheaper we'd be buying them . . then who would complain about the NSA Data Center in Utah or the Texas Cryptologic Center in San Antonio. . . don't want to be tracked? . . . crush your phone and stop surfing the web. . . Just bought the Mavic 2 Advanced. . .can't wait

What's the reasoning behind the Duhpartment of Homeland Security funding your local government to encrypt their public safety trunking system? What are they planning that they don't want us the taxpayers who pay for it to not be privy to?

cgmaxed · Dec 26, 2020

Meta4 said:
Do you realise that their own people can freely travel to and across the USA, with their own cameras and drones and directly photograph whatever they might be interested in.

The popular idea of drone imagery being mined for espionage value is just laughable and would be rejected as a comic book plot line.
It also misses the point that DJI doesn't get access to your imagery anyway.

Finally, someone with common sense. Just because a drone is made in china, doesn't mean they put some fancy video uploading software in the drone. The drones don't fly around transmitting their video feeds to Chinese satellites. Most of us don't fly over high target areas anyway. It's just a ludicrous idea that China uses randomly flown consumer drones to spy on Americans.

lookout · Dec 26, 2020

cgmaxed said:
Finally, someone with common sense. Just because a drone is made in china, doesn't mean they put some fancy video uploading software in the drone. The drones don't fly around transmitting their video feeds to Chinese satellites. Most of us don't fly over high target areas anyway. It's just a ludicrous idea that China uses randomly flown consumer drones to spy on Americans.

Or they only activate given certain GPS coordinates of interest.

Little bird · Dec 26, 2020

koopyetz said:
Chinese Drones Are Spying on Americans

The U.S. government at the federal, state, and local levels is using Chinese drones that the Chinese Communist Party is exploiting for espionage. That is the public conclusion of a branch of the Department of Homeland Security. Citing “security concerns,” other departments have...

news.yahoo.com

And Samsung's phones are whispering sweet nothings in your ear and you don't even know it. ??

Dougcjohn · Dec 26, 2020

Drones as a security concern... would only be minimally concerning if the other devices were even considered. Since there not, makes this whole security issue more political for market than anything.

Consider the density of drones, the time airborne, frequency airborne, avg camera on retail or prosumer drones normally wide angle and the visual access to various sensitive zones... not many USA Citizens breaching No Fly Zones or Sensitive sectors... how many fly the National Parks now, how many fly over a Military Base and travel inward to the Hangers... not many.

Then consider the cell phones being carried by millions, carried everywhere... rarely limited. The number of photos & videos recording practically every inch from street level, skyscraper, or point blank in ft of items taking a tour or guided through buildings, bases, etc. How many are within a National Park and filming? How many are on a Military Base with phone in hand... about 99.999% more than Drones!

Add in the thousands of TV’s mounted in conference rooms, executive offices, govt chambers, etc... connected to various media services indicating directly connected to data service... and no, Govt doesn’t block all external traffic at the Gateways... Netflix, Amazon, YouTube available to VIP, Exec, Mgmt, Judicial, etc.

Add in Newer Autos... with all the Cameras, LiDAR, GPS, Sat Systems... all functional without Driver interaction.

Security cameras on business & homes storing all data on cloud storage... hard to access? Depends on Whom, Security Access, and SW Developer.

Could go on with much more plausible 24x7 sources of image security concerns than drones powered up for 15 minutes 3-6 times a week.

Don’t hear TV’s needing to be Banned, Phones Banned, etc, even with much more density, connectivity and usage across the Country.

Several indicate video transferred to Chinese Servers... incorrect and just not accurate... and zero evidence ever presented that supports it other than Media hype!

Ever transfer your video from drone to tablet... notice how long it takes. Most remove card to other device or USB cable... both are external to DJI’s ability to route.

While all this, last month the proposed Ban on DJI and other drones by Federal Govt was Rejected and not passed. (mentioned in other post).

The recent Media Hype on DJI Blacklisted... suggested couldn’t buy or use DJI... all Hype. Blacklist simplified basically states USA companies can not provide technology “TO” DJI... which isn’t currently happening, DJI pretty much develops their own. Again, more political posturing than impactful to market or consumer.