DJI’s drones could be considered a threat to US national security. A text under discussion in the American Congress would prohibit the Chinese manufacturer from selling its products.
A risk ” unacceptable »: this is how Elise Stefanik, Republican representative from New York and one of the main promoters of the bill, describes DJI drones. “ It’s time for the drones built by Communist China [sic] disappear from the United States », she asserts in a martial tone at New York Times.
DJI in trouble
Government agencies have in fact demonstrated that the manufacturer’s drones provided data on ” critical infrastructure » in Beijing, she also explains. These devices would effectively be grounded if the bill were to pass. There is a chance that this is the case: the text has support in both Congress and the Senate.
Technically, DJI’s drones would then be added to the FCC’s list, the communications regulator, which prohibits the use of communications equipment or services representing a risk to national security on American networks. Therefore, it would be impossible to fly these devices. Companies also wouldn’t be able to purchase these drones with federal funds.
DJI would then be in the company of Huawei and ZTE, which are already on this list covered by a 2019 law. Suffice to say that this means the end of this activity in the United States. DJI defends itself: “ Our products are designed and intended to promote the common good and benefit society “, assures a spokesperson. Last March, the manufacturer also explained that this text would have consequences not only for DJI, but also for an entire ecosystem that uses its drones (this is the case with rescue teams, for example).
The company also deplores the inaccuracies and unsubstantiated allegations made by legislators regarding its activity, not to mention their amplification of “ xenophobic stories “. All with the aim of supporting American drone manufacturers and “ eliminate competition in the market “.
DJI has long been in the crosshairs of the US government. Since 2020, American companies can no longer export technology to DJI. The manufacturer was also added to the lists of the US Treasury and the Department of Defense because of the role played by its drones in the surveillance of the Uyghurs, a community persecuted by the Chinese central power.
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