AI-Summary – News For Tomorrow
The FCC banned the import/sale of new drone models and equipment from foreign manufacturers, including DJI, citing national security risks. This follows the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act mandating security reviews of foreign drone makers like DJI and Autel. DJI claims concerns are baseless and reflect protectionism. China’s foreign ministry called the move “discriminatory.” This action builds on previous US concerns, including a 2017 Army ban due to cybersecurity issues and DJI’s placement on the Commerce Department’s economic blacklist in 2020 for alleged human rights abuses and surveillance in China. The Department of Defense also accused DJI of working with China’s military.
News summary provided by Gemini AI.
The FCC banned the import and sale of all new drone models and critical equipment made by foreign manufacturers, including the world’s largest drone maker DJI, by adding them into a so-called “Covered List” of entities deemed to “pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.”
“President Trump has been clear that his Administration will act to secure our airspace and unleash American drone dominance,” said FCC Chair Brendan Carr on X Monday.
The announcement this week came after the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress last year mandated a security review of equipment produced by DJI, Autel and other foreign drone makers by December 23, 2025.
The spokesperson reiterated their commitment to the US market and product safety backed by independent reviewers.
“Concerns about DJI’s data security have not been grounded in evidence and instead reflect protectionism, contrary to the principles of an open market,” the person added.
CNN has reached out to Autel for comment.
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, called the FCC listing “discriminatory” on Tuesday, adding that Beijing opposes Washington’s overgeneralization of national security.
“The US should correct its erroneous practices and provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies to operate,” he said.
Concerns about Chinese made drones and DJI are not new. As early as 2017, the US Army banned the use of DJI drones due to cybersecurity vulnerabilities. That same year, the Department of Homeland Security warned in an internal memo that Chinese-made drones might be sending sensitive flight data to their manufacturers in China.
In 2020, DJI was placed on the Commerce Department’s economic blacklist, or so called Entity List, for the company’s alleged involvement in human‑rights abuses and high‑technology surveillance against China’s Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and other minorities. The following year, the US Treasury Department also placed investment restrictions on DJI for similar reasons.
In 2022, the Department of Defense added DJI onto a list of firms allegedly working with China’s People’s Liberation Army. Although DJI has rejected the Pentagon’s characterization and sued for its removal, it lost the court bid in September this year.
