The world's largest consumer-drone maker unveiled new software that will automatically restrict its drones from flying near wildfires, prisons, power plants and other restricted areas, a move to curb unsafe flights that worry regulators.

SZ DJI Technology Co., of Shenzhen, China, which makes the best-selling US$1,000 Phantom drones, has used so-called geofencing technology for more than two years to restrict its drones from flying near airports and other sensitive areas, including Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the prime minister's office in Japan, and much of Washington D.C.

DJI's new software expands the no-fly zones to include power plants and prisons. It also can enforce temporary flight restrictions, such as above wildfires, professional sporting events or areas where the U.S. president is traveling. The company said it is asking government officials world-wide to list other places where drones should be excluded.

DJI's geofencing technology uses satellite data and real-time local airspace information to determine if a drone is in a restricted area. The company said it would introduce the new software in North America and Europe next month and expand it globally next year.

The technology is a victory for aviation regulators world-wide, who have struggled to rein in drones as they proliferate - often flying too close to manned aircraft and large crowds. The Federal Aviation Administration said pilots' in-flight sightings of drones in the U.S. have soared in recent months, and several U.S. prisons have reported drones being used to smuggle contraband to inmates. In response, some U.S. lawmakers have proposed mandating geofencing technology.

DJI's geofencing, however, can be switched off in some cases. The company said users who verify their accounts with a credit card or phone number would be able to still fly in some restricted areas after acknowledging that they are near sensitive or congested airspace. That could include workers such as firefighters using drones for an aerial view of a fire, or airline workers using them to inspect aircraft.

"We leave it up to the user to make a decision on responsible use," said Brendan Schulman, DJI's vice president of policy and legal affairs.

He said the company won't allow users to disable geofencing in some areas, including near prisons or in Washington, where drones are essentially banned.

Some air-safety advocates discounted DJI's previous geofencing software, saying it was too easy for users with basic computer-programming knowledge to override the restrictions. DJI has said most drone users who fly too close to restricted areas are ignorant of the rules -- not nefarious -- and those users welcome up-to-date airspace information.

"We're not going to stop bad actors this way," Mr. Schulman said. "It's technology to guide newcomers so they don't inadvertently fly their drone in a space that raises concern."

AirMap Inc., an airspace-information app for drone users that pulls data from the FAA and other aviation regulators, will deliver real-time information on global flight restrictions to DJI.

3D Robotics Inc., another large drone maker, said this week that it would also give its users real-time airspace alerts from AirMap, but it isn't installing geofencing software to automatically restrict flights.

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