DJI will no longer stop drones from flying over airports, wildfires, and the White House, passing the buck to US law enforcement to prevent some of the worst forms of drone misuse. Some are suggesting the curious timing of that decision is political,

DJI, a Chinese-based technology company, got rid of its geofence software, which stopped people from flying drones over the White House, runways, power plants and during public emergencies.

Since at least 2013 when DJI first released its Phantom drone in the United States, the company has made it difficult for drone operators to fly DJI drones over restricted areas. The software on the drones would automatically restrict you from flying over sensitive places including runways, the White House, and power plants.

DJI, which accounts for an estimated 90% of hobby drone sales in the U.S., announced this week that it will stop geoblocking its drones from flying over airports and military bases. The changes took effect on Monday on both the DJI Fly and DJI Pilot flight apps.

DJI, the world’s dominant drone manufacturer, has made a major change to its safety protocol, removing automatic no-fly zone restrictions for drones operating in the United States.

The drone maker is removing software restraints that prevented its products from flying over restricted areas, ceding control to drone pilots.

DJI has lifted its geofence that prevents users from flying over restricted areas like nuclear power plants, airports and wildfires.

DJI is removing its automatic no-fly restrictions over sensitive areas, replacing them with warnings, amid growing concerns about drone safety and regulation.