Beijing tightens drone crackdown, bans possession and storage across city from November 15
Beijing will ban residents and businesses from possessing or storing drones and key drone components within the city from November 15, authorities said, tightening restrictions on the devices after a series of security measures introduced earlier this year.The revised rules, approved this month and released on Sunday, will allow authorities to confiscate drones from those who violate the ban and impose fines on individuals and companies. Existing owners will be offered subsidies to sell or scrap their drones before the new rules take effect.The move marks the latest step in Beijing’s tightening regulation of drones. The city had already banned unauthorised drone flights and designated its entire administrative area as restricted airspace on security grounds.Under rules approved in March and effective from May 1, existing drone owners were required to register their devices using their real names and identities. They were initially allowed to keep their registered drones, subject to strict requirements.The latest rules go further by banning possession and storage altogether within Beijing’s city limits.According to the state-owned newspaper Beijing Daily, existing drone owners can sell their devices at designated buyback locations and receive a subsidy. They can also scrap and recycle the drones with a smaller subsidy, or move them outside Beijing before November 15.The tightening comes after a fatal accident in late June, when a small aircraft crashed into a skyscraper in Beijing. The crash killed the pilot and injured 13 people.Drones can still be flown outdoors in other parts of China, although users must register them under their real names. Beijing, the Chinese capital, has often imposed stricter security rules than other parts of the country.Bringing drones into Beijing from outside the city, including by tourists, is already prohibited.
