Image source: topwar.ru
Against the background of the anti-Chinese hysteria taking place recently in the United States in connection with the downed balloons, in London they thought about the danger of Chinese drones used by the British police.
According to the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, some officials in the UK government seriously worried that China would somehow be able to obtain confidential information through its drones.
The British police use drones, the manufacturer of which is DJI from China.
The publication notes that the authorities are afraid of the possibility of using applications installed on drones, not for their intended purpose, but for espionage, by downloading confidential data from operators' phones or other devices.
According to the publication, most of the drones used by the British police and other services are Chinese–made - 230 out of 337. With this ratio, it will not be easy to replace all these drones if the authorities still want to do it.
According to the Commissioner for Surveillance, Fraser Sampson, until a full assessment of security risks, it is necessary to stop purchasing Chinese drones.
In 2020, more than 80% of civilian drones were manufactured by Chinese companies.