Exactly 10 years ago an unprecedented event occurred. A small drone landed without authorization on the White House lawn after its operator lost control. It did not carry explosives or sophisticated cameras, but it was enough to activate a complete security protocol and put the authorities on alert for hours.
That apparently trivial incident was an announcement to sailors.
The drone empire closes its sky. It remains a paradox that China, the great dominator of the global drone market with millions of devices in circulation and leading companies like DJI, is the same power that has begun to drastically restrict their use within its borders.
Yes, the New York Times reported a few days ago that the new rules require each device to be registered with a real identity, linked to personal data and to transmit flight information in real time to the government. Flying without authorization can lead to fines, confiscations and even prison sentences, and in cities like Beijing the ban is almost total, to the point of preventing the sale or entry of drones into the capital.
Total control of airspace. Thus, regulatory tightening has turned what was previously a recreational or professional activity into a field full of obstacles. In practice, much of the urban space is left out of use, with permits having to be requested in advance and rarely granted.
In fact, users across the country have reported interrogations, sanctions and confiscations even on flights they consider legal, while some claim to receive calls from the police as soon as they turn on their devices. The result is a paralyzing effect: the sky is still full of drones in theory, but in practice fewer and fewer take off.
Security, fear and Ukraine and Iran. Behind this shift is a key factor that is easy to understand: modern warfare has shown that drones are no longer toys, but first-rate combat actors. Recent conflicts have made it clear that even cheap models can monitor, attack or disrupt critical infrastructure, something of particular concern to Beijing in terms of internal security.
The possibility of these devices being used against sensitive infrastructure or even against political leaders has accelerated a response that seeks to eliminate any room for improvisation in the air.
The economics of low altitude. Paradoxically, the Times said that the tightening comes just when China wants to expand the commercial use of drones in what it calls the “low-altitude economy.”
The objective is to turn them into key tools for logistics, agriculture, industrial inspection or light transportation. But to achieve this, the government considers it essential to first impose absolute control of the airspace, like someone reorganizing a city before opening it to mass traffic. The problem: that this previous order is suffocating the ecosystem that it aims to promote.
The final dilemma. If you will, the result is a contradiction that is difficult to resolve in Beijing: the nation that raised and built the global drone industry is limiting its use due to the danger they perceive to the point of slowing down innovation, business and adoption.
Companies see sales fall, the second-hand market grows and entrepreneurs abandon projects due to the impossibility of operating. Meanwhile, some experts warn of another unexpected consequence: restricting access too much may prevent training future operators, just when the world is heading towards wars and economies where knowing how to handle a drone will be a strategic skill.
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