Citing growing security and privacy concerns, the province is banning the government and provincial police from buying or using Chinese-made drones.
Under Chinese law, companies incorporated in China may be required to disclose data, even if that data is stored outside the country, the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement stated on May 20.
This raises security concerns about Chinese-made drones, which could possibly access or store sensitive information, officials stated, noting the move aligns with other government organizations, such as the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP.
The province procures drones for many purposes, including law enforcement, emergency management, wildfire monitoring, road and bridge inspections, and environmental monitoring.
The new regulations do not impact the recreational market or hunters.
