May 23, 2023
The Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force have suspended a fleet of Chinese-made drones in the wake of security concerns.
Drones and accessories made by Chinese tech company DJI have been grounded within Home Affairs after a portfolio-wide direction last week.
Home Affairs Department chief operating officer Justine Saunders told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday the drones had grounded in recent weeks but would take on notice when exactly it occurred.
It follows an approach by the Department of Defence last month after it announced it was grounding the DJI technology and equipment and undertaking an audit across the portfolio.
"We've been engaging with Defence in regards to the review they're undertaking [and] we'll be working with them and other partners to make sure [we] satisfy ourselves as to the implications of the use of this technology before it is used," Ms Saunders said.
The Australian Border Force owns 41 DJI-branded drones with 37 of them having been acquired between February and June last year, according to a recently answered question on notice.
Across the agency, there are hundreds of DJI-branded accessories and thermal accessories purchased over a five-year period between June 2017 and June 2022.
Liberal senator James Paterson has been asking departments and agencies to do a stocktake of the technology following the US Pentagon's banning of DJI-branded technology within US Defence.
Earlier this month, The Canberra Times asked the department whether it had received any guidance from the Defence Department about the use of technology from the company.
"The ABF adheres to strict cyber security measures with DJI technology to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all official information generated through or during the use of this technology," a spokesperson said in a response on May 3.
"The ABF is working closely with partner agencies on its RPAS cyber security measures to ensure they remain contemporary and fit-for-purpose."
Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian last week said the scrutiny over Chinese technology was "very unhelpful" for relations.
"Once it's sold, everything is in your hand," the ambassador said last Friday.
"It's very unfortunate there are views that these ... either TikTok or WeChat or a CCTV camera could be utilised by the Chinese government to monitor Australia. It's absolutely unfounded.
"Such speculation is absolutely unnecessary. Very unhelpful."
