Citing security concerns, the provincial government will stop buying drones made in China and phase out those it already has, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford announced. The Ontario Provincial Police will immediately stop using such drones for “highly sensitive” operations. (The Logic)

Talking point: Crawford’s spokesperson Giulia Paikin could not say by deadline how the province will handle drones assembled outside China with Chinese components, or by Chinese-owned companies working in Canada. The announcement said the province is worried about China’s national-security law, which can require Chinese companies to provide data in their custody to authorities in Beijing—the same broad concern the federal government pointed to when it proposed to restrict Huawei and ZTE gear in Canadian telecom networks. The RCMP has admitted security concerns about its drone fleet; the United States has effectively banned imports of certain Chinese drones entirely.