Drone brand DJI could soon be banned from operating in the United States. According to a report from The New York Times (NYT), a bill called the Countering CCP Drones Act “passed unanimously by the House Energy and Commerce Committee last month.” The legislation will go to a vote in the House of Representatives within the next two months. If it passes there, it will move on to the Senate and possibly to the office of the President of the United States.
There seem to be two main motives behind this ban. One of the bill’s sponsors, Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, claims that “DJI poses an unacceptable security risk,” pointing to the company’s ties to the Chinese government. The NYT reports how vulnerabilities were discovered in 2020 that CCP officials could have used to access US users’ personal information. Although these vulnerabilities have now been resolved, that has not stopped the US Department of Defense from banning its armed forces from purchasing the drones.
The other reason is economic. Representative John Moolenaar of Michigan said he wants to promote a “competitive … drone industry” in the United States. DJI drones are, as you can imagine, popular in the US, representing “58 percent of the commercial market by 2022.” By throwing out the brand, other brands could theoretically grow.
Breaking down
This isn’t the first time DJI has found itself in the crosshairs of the US government. In 2021, the company was placed on the Commerce Department’s Entity List, limiting access to key “U.S. technologies.”
It is important to note that the Countering CCP Drones Act was introduced last spring. If you review the summary of the bill, you will find that it brings DJI drones under the scope of the Secure and Trusted Communication Networks Act. The edge the reporting explains that this will deprive the devices of access to US networks and place heavy restrictions on a drone’s functions.
You may be wondering why the bill is gaining popularity now. Well, it might have something to do with TikTok. Scrutiny of Chinese technology has increased in recent months. President Joe Biden in March labeled Chinese electric vehicles as a threat to national security. The president then signed a bill that would potentially ban TikTok. It forces parent company ByteDance to sell the platform within a year or be kicked out (or possibly get an extension). Perhaps the sponsors of the DJI ban bill see blood in the water and are pushing it as another crackdown on China-based tech companies.
Counter arguments
DJI is not very happy about this. Early last month they posted a fact sheet on their website official Viewpoint blog criticizing and contradicting the arguments in the Countering CCP Drones Act. The company states that they do not assist any government in espionage, support human rights violations, or collect data without user consent. The NYT also revealed that DJI is working behind the scenes with lobbyists to stay in the United States.
Even if the company is banned, the technology that powers its products can survive. Anzu Robotics is the new kid on the block in the US drone industry, having launched the Raptor earlier this month, which uses licensed DJI technology, the same kind found on the Mavic 3.
The difference is that Anzu is from Malaysia and they use domestically made software on their device. With free range, the Raptor could take the throne from the Mavic 3, although this remains to be seen as it is quite expensive. Prices for the Raptor start at $5,000; more than double that of the Mavic.
If you want something more budget-friendly, check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best drones for 2024.