Industry News
In the face of rising tensions between the U.S. and China, government officials within the United States Government are moving to ban DJI products. Da-Jian Innovations Sciences and Technologies Companies Limited (DJI) is the latest company targeted over national security concerns of Chinese spy surveillance. The Countering CCP Drones Act (H.R.2864), introduced by Elise Stefanik (Republican representative from New York) and James Gallagher (Republican representative from California), seeks to add all telecommunications or video surveillance equipment produced by DJI Technologies to the Covered List within the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019. Enforced and monitored by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Covered List identifies equipment that poses an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons. The Bill is being introduced as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
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The addition of DJI Technologies to the FCC’s Covered List would prevent users from registering new DJI products with the FCC and would prevent new and/or existing products from operating on FCC frequencies. Originally introduced on April 25, the bill was passed by the House of Representatives on Friday, June 14, 217:199. The bill has since been adopted by Senator Jon Tester (Democratic congressman from Montana), who was expected to present his revised version to the Senate on Thursday, June 20. According to Keila Szpaller of tester.senate.gov, the senator would also “require the Department of Defense to determine whether other Chinese drone manufacturers should be added to the list of Chinese military companies operating in the United States.” This would potentially expand the ban on DJI products to additional drone companies. Senator Tester shared that “cheap Chinese drones are flooding the American market, costing American jobs and putting our privacy and national security at risk.”
Removing DJI Drones from the United States market would have broad and far-reaching implications. Per Statista, DJI owns 76% of the consumer and commercial drone market share. DJI Enterprise drones are currently used in applications from Marine Conservation to Agriculture, Firefighting, and Search and Rescue Operations. There is significant potential for creating novel and innovative solutions to modern-day problems using drone technology. While it would be irresponsible to say there is no risk to operating Chinese-made drones in the U.S., it would be equally irresponsible to ignore the impacts of a U.S.-wide ban. DJI currently represents the best in the consumer and commercial drone market, taking the largest volume of accolades amongst third-party review sites such as PC Magazine, CNET, etc. A U.S.-wide ban on DJI products would no doubt be a step back for critical aspects of our infrastructure that have seen significant technological advancement with the utilization of drone products. It is safe to say ski and snowboard film quality would also suffer.
The Countering CCP Drones Act is part of the much larger NDAA. As such, it is possible the current verbiage will be modified or removed by the time it comes to a vote on the Senate floor. However, this is not an isolated incident. This is part of a larger trend of bans levied against Chinese companies. Huawei was banned from receiving new equipment licenses from U.S. regulators via the Secure Equipment Act, severely hampering the company’s ability to operate competitively within the United States. A more recent and notable bill passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden requires TikTok to divest from its Chinese Parent Company by January 19, 2025, or risk a country-wide ban. The U.S. would not be the first to ban TikTok and would be following in the footsteps of Australia, Canada, the E.U., New Zealand, Norway, and several other countries that have implemented partial or full bans. DJI is just the latest company in the United State’s economic onslaught against China with more likely to follow. This is an ongoing situation and we will do our best to bring you any notable developments.
The Government has civil immunity for official actions. You can’t sue them.
I’m saying class action law suit against the people that are for this bill. Having spent a good chunk of money on drones and the number of them that will be inoperable if it passes, I think someone should do something to recoupe the costs?!
I have the mini 2 / 3 and the Mavic Pro. I fly in an AMA approved location that has a set aside area for Drones. DJI has cancelled to monitor part of their package which I never liked. So stop the selling of new drones and leave the legal people along. Show me campaign contributions from each legislator from cheap US manufactures.
I just bought one. Now what do I do?
I believe you’re OK if you have one, just won’t be able to buy any more.
We can and do build exceptional and inexpensive civilian drones in the US. We have huge aviation and toy companies and AI Chip companies like Nvidia and Intel.
The Chinese have stripped freedom from Hong Kong, ate threatening Taiwan, and are huge investors in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
They are playing a leading ng game to replace the US as the Supreme World Power.
We can do without their drone products.
You bet I got an opinion. Dji is by far and away the best. Most technical advanced drone produced today. To say that China can spy thru the use of these drones is with absurd at best. They, dji, stopped the ability to transmit data from the drone to wifi and without that, how someone please tell me how China can get info???? Also, wouldn’t the drones have to fly over secure air space to send data on our bases? That’s quite impossible knowing the security around our military bases..
I think this is more like congress/senators getting ” campaign donations”, free trips, aged wine, dinners, well you get my drift..jussayin..
You are so correct. I used to belong to AUSVI but one of the head people just happen to be involved big with Skydo. He pushed and lobbied for this bill imo. US companies are so far behind and at least twice as expensive. But silver lining for me is there will be alot of good dji drones for sale soon and as I’m north of the border, I’m going to increase my fleet for a good price. I feel sorry for the flyers in the US.
As we the people, i can truly say. USA is becoming the frist world china before our eyes. Let start the ban parade left and right. Slowly taking away the little joy of the average human being. But yet lets definitely ban everything from them since we barely produce our own material. No longer a democracy but an upsetting puke dictatorship. Biden for the people!!!