DJI drones are escaping the US ban for now, but clouds continue to loom for 2025
- Drone maker DJI has temporarily escaped an American import ban
- The company has one year to prove its safety, otherwise it will be automatically banned
- DJI protests that Chinese companies are being unfairly singled out
DJI is the world’s largest drone maker, and its products are so good that they take seven of the top 10 spots on our list of the best drones money can buy. But that hasn’t stopped it from coming under increasing scrutiny in the US, and while the company has narrowly escaped a ban in the US, things could look very different in a year’s time.
What happened? Well, the U.S. Senate just passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which distributes defense spending for the entire year. Much to DJI’s relief, the agreement did not include provisions from the Countering CCP Drones Act, which essentially aimed to block the import of all DJI products into the United States.
But DJI is not out of the woods yet. The NDAA has begun a one-year countdown during which DJI must prove that its products do not pose a national security risk to the United States. If that fails, all its devices will automatically be banned in the US, along with those of rival firm Autel Robotics.
DJI must prove its innocence to “a competent national security agency” (which has not yet been named). Otherwise, the FCC will add DJI products to its “Covered List,” which will prevent DJI devices from running on U.S. networks and prevent the FCC from authorizing their internal radios for use in the United States. It would essentially be an import ban.
Ground flights
DJI is a Chinese company that has sparked anger and suspicion among US lawmakers. Like many Chinese companies, some in the U.S. are concerned that DJI could have too close ties with Chinese authorities and that its products could pose a threat to national security.
In one blog postDJI responded to the allegations by saying it “welcomes the audit and looks forward to the opportunity to demonstrate our privacy controls and security features.” The company also claims that Chinese companies are being unfairly singled out and is concerned that the US government has not yet designated an agency to conduct the assessment. If no agency takes charge, DJI will automatically be banned, the company believes.
The NDAA passed both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, meaning it only requires President Biden’s signature. While it is almost certain that Biden will sign it as it has received bipartisan support, it remains to be seen what action – if any – President-elect Trump will take once he takes office in January. If you’re a fan of DJI drones, you should keep a close eye on them – or look for alternative options.