The Ontario government is restricting government use of drones made by Chinese companies.
The Ontario Provincial Police and other government agencies will ban use of drones made in China immediately for sensitive operations. It will implement a ban on broader government use over time.
The government said it plans to purchase drones made in Canada or other approved jurisdictions.
WHY IT MATTERS
Farm drones aren’t part of the ban — but with Chinese-made machines dominating on-farm spraying and seeding, a government shift toward Canadian-made drones signals where the market may head.
“Now more than ever, it is critical that we are protecting our province’s data and safeguarding our security against bad actors,” said Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement.
Under current Chinese law, companies incorporated in China may be required to disclose data, even if that data is stored outside the country. This raises security concerns about Chinese-made drones, which could possibly access or store sensitive information.
What it means for farm drones
The quick growth in the use of drones on Canadian farms for data gathering, spraying and applying seeds and fertilizer has almost all been accomplished by the use of Chinese-made drones, which lead the world in their usability and scale.
If approved, this updated policy will align Ontario with the approach taken by numerous other government organizations, including the Canadian Armed Forces, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the United States Federal Communications Commission, which have all already taken steps to restrict or limit the use of Chinese-made drones.
As part of its increased investment in the Canadian military, the federal government has funded several Canadian drone companies, and the expectation is that some of those companies will provide drones for other industries, such as agriculture.
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