Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Drone Nerds, a company with links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Drone Nerds is tied to Anzu Robotics, a known affiliate of the CCP.
According to a release from Paxton’s office, Anzu has misrepresented its security measures through “unauthorized data collection, surveillance capabilities, and potential access by the Chinese government.” Paxton’s office believes Anzu and Drone Nerds are working together to “evade Texas law to continue to sell drones and other products that enable the CCP to spy on Texans.”
“Under my watch, the Chinese Communist Party will have no influence in Texas,” said Paxton. “I will thoroughly investigate any potential threat to the privacy and security of Texans and hold any company that enables CCP surveillance accountable.”
The investigation aligns with Governor Greg Abbott’s (R) ongoing efforts to protect the state from Chinese influence. “Rogue actors across the globe who wish harm on Texans should not be allowed to infiltrate our state’s network and devices,” Abbott said in a January statement. “Hostile adversaries harvest user data through AI and other applications and hardware to exploit, manipulate, and violate users and put them at extreme risk.” He explained that the expanded prohibited technologies list will “mitigate that risk and protect the privacy of Texans from the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and any other hostile foreign actors who may attempt to undermine the safety and security of Texas.”
On January 20, Abbott sent a letter to Texas Department of Public Safety Colonel Freeman Martin, Texas Department of Information Resources Interim Director Tony Sauerhoff, and Texas Cyber Command (TXCC) Chief, Vice Admiral TJ White, declaring that TXCC would be the lead agency in investigating technologies.
