China vows ‘tough’ stance against illegal use of drone flight control systems

China on Monday vowed to maintain a “tough” stance against the illegal use of drone flight control systems, warning that such acts pose risks to public and national security, state media reported.

The Public Security Ministry said police will continue cracking down on such acts in accordance with the law, Beijing-based Xinhua News reported.

The ministry warned that privately providing services to remove no-fly zone and altitude restrictions for drone owners could constitute a criminal offense.

It also released details of 10 cases in which individuals used technical means to help others illegally bypass drone restrictions, including altitude limits and no-fly zones, or tampered with factory-set payload parameters to assist unauthorized drone flights for “illegal profit.”

All suspects involved in the cases have been subjected to criminal compulsory measures by police, with further investigations underway.

According to experts, drones with removed altitude restrictions could intrude into civil aviation routes and potentially cause collisions with serious consequences, while drones with disabled geographic restrictions could enter prohibited areas such as military control zones, risking the leakage of state secrets.