Given that drones can take footage of sensitive sites, and that China has a market share of around 75% of the global drone market, there are legitimate concerns of privacy and national security.

The world non-militarized drone market, dominated by Chinese manufacturers such as DJI, is said to triple in size to $14.3 billion in sales over the next decade, said a study.

U.S. officials have warned of drones being a national security risk.

The U.S. drone market, estimated at $4.9 billion in 2019, will benefit from a gradual opening of U.S. airspace by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and increased use by commercial industries, said a study by aerospace analysis company Teal Group.

The United States is increasingly concerned that sensitive footage collected by Chinese-made drones could be accessed by Beijing.

According to Phil Finnegan, an analyst with the Teal Group, who is also the author of the study, Chinese drone markers control nearly 75% of the world’s commercial and consumer drone market.

According to the study, drones are being primarily used for industrial inspection, including construction, energy and mining. Drones are also being used to survey sites and transmission lines, among other things. They are also being used in agriculture for spraying crops and for field analysis.