Ontario Restricts Chinese-Made Drone Use by Government and Police

An officer dismantles a drone at an RCMP station in Windsor, Ont., on March 7, 2025. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Ontario is restricting the purchase and use of Chinese-made drones by the provincial government and police, citing security concerns.

The restriction is part of the government’s plan to protect provincial data and strengthen security across the province, and includes an immediate ban on the use of Chinese drones in highly sensitive provincial police operations, the province said on May 20.

Ontario currently uses drones for law enforcement, emergency management, wildfire monitoring, road and bridge inspections, and environmental monitoring.

The province said it is in the process of phasing out broader government use of Chinese-made drones, which will be replaced with Canadian-made alternatives. It will also hold talks with Canadian drone manufacturers and industry stakeholders in the coming weeks to discuss procurement under its Buy Ontario initiative, the province said.

The Buy Ontario Act was passed in December 2025 to prioritize Ontario goods and services in public procurement.

The move is partly driven by Chinese national security laws that require companies to disclose data to Beijing upon request, even if the data is stored outside the country.

The government said it will phase out Chinese drones currently in use in a way that avoids disrupting or compromising critical frontline services.

“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,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner.

The province said the move aligns with similar actions taken by the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

The RCMP has faced scrutiny in the Senate over its drone fleet, about 79 percent of which consists of Chinese-made drones. The agency has said in response to concerns raised by Sen. Claude Carignan in an Oct. 20 report that the drones are restricted to non-sensitive operations.

Ontario said the new restrictions build on previous measures aimed at enhancing security and form part of a broader legislative package expected in the coming days to strengthen community safety enforcement and better protect vulnerable people and victims.

Sharing the news about his government’s decision on social media, Ontario Energy Minister Stephen Lecce said the “era of blindly outsourcing critical technology to China is over.”

“That is why our government is phasing out Chinese-made drones in government operations to protect Canadian data,” Lecce said.

“We cannot be naive about the rising geopolitical risks at our doorstep. This common-sense policy by [Premier Doug Ford] and [Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford] safeguards Canada’s security and economic interests.”