Ontario government bans Chinese drones from police operations over data concerns

The Ford government says it is banning Chinese-made drones from being used in sensitive police investigations as the first step in a broader bid to remove them from the government supply chain altogether.

The move will affect every drone owned and operated by the Ontario Provincial Police, according to the government, which said they currently only use Chinese-made drones.

Still, Stephen Crawford, the minister of public and business service delivery and procurement, said the move was a vital step toward enhanced public safety.

“Now more than ever, it is critical that we are protecting our province’s data and safeguarding our security against bad actors,” he said in a statement.

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“Banning government use and future purchases of Chinese-made drones is another important step in our plan to protect Ontario and better leverage Canada’s world-class drone manufacturing sector.”

The government said the impetus behind the change is rules that can compel companies incorporated in China to disclose their data, even if it was gathered or stored abroad.

Banning Chinese-made drones, the province said, would align it with the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP, among other Canadian organizations.

Although it is not clear how many drones the OPP currently has from China, the next step will be to identify Canadian-made replacements for any Chinese drones currently in use by provincial police or other Ontario government organizations.

“Police services across Ontario rely on drones to support critical operations and protect public safety, but we cannot ignore growing security and privacy concerns tied to foreign-made technology,” solicitor general Michael Kerzner said.

“That’s why our government is exploring options to address potential security risks while ensuring police have access to the modern, reliable tools they need to help protect Ontario communities.”