DJI to U.S. government: Dont ban us, answer us
As the holiday season approaches, a looming deadline threatens to disrupt the drone market in the United States, particularly impacting DJI, the world’s leading drone manufacturer, which produces approximately 90% of all drones. The Trump administration has set a December 23 deadline for DJI to pass a crucial audit mandated by U.S. law. Without this audit, DJI could find itself on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “Covered list,” effectively banning the sale of its drones in the U.S. market just days before Christmas—a scenario reminiscent of the Grinch stealing holiday cheer.
DJI has expressed its willingness to cooperate with the U.S. government, citing its history of independent audits and previous evaluations by the Department of the Interior. However, as the deadline approaches, the company has received no response from U.S. officials, prompting it to take the unusual step of sending open letters to key government figures, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel. In these letters, DJI emphasizes its commitment to security and transparency, urging the administration to fulfill its promise of a security review. Adam Welsh, DJI’s head of global policy, highlighted the safety features of DJI drones, such as local data modes that restrict internet connectivity, and warned that a ban would not only confuse consumers—particularly farmers reliant on drone technology—but also undermine the intent of Congress regarding security reviews.
Despite these appeals, the Trump administration has not publicly responded to DJI’s letters. Previous assertions from officials in Hegseth’s department have labeled DJI as a Chinese military company, raising national security concerns without providing substantive evidence. As the deadline nears, the potential fallout from a ban on DJI drones could have significant implications for American consumers, businesses, and the broader drone industry, leaving many to wonder if the Trump administration will indeed become the Grinch that steals this critical technology just before the holiday season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zqYWQmUNbY
Is the Trump administration about to be the Grinch that stole sales of most drones just before Christmas?
There’s a
Dec. 23 deadline looming for DJI
, which makes 90 percent of the world’s drones, to pass an audit from the U.S. government. Without an audit, U.S. law says DJI will go on the FCC’s naughty list — sorry, Covered list — effectively a ban on further U.S. sales.
DJI has long said it is happy to schedule the new U.S. audit; after all, the company has years of independent audits (and a Department of the Interior audit) under its belt. But with no reply from anyone in the Trump administration three weeks before deadline, DJI drones look like they will be left high and dry.
That’s why DJI just took the desperate step of sending open letters to Homeland Security head Kristi Noem, FBI boss Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Department of Defense (or is that War?) chief Pete Hegseth — whom they’d written to multiple times privately.
“In September you indicated through written communication the Department’s willingness to work with DJI,” the letter to Noem says. (Translation:
we’ve got the receipts
.) “We stand behind the security of our technology, and are keen to meet with you and ensure that this Congressionally-mandated security review takes place as soon as possible so you can fulfill your commitment.”
SEE ALSO:
Everything we know about the looming DJI drone ban in the United States
Adam Welsh, DJI head of global policy, ticked off all the ways DJI drones are safe — flight logs don’t go on servers, images and videos aren’t backed up to servers unless the user wants, and there’s a “local data” mode that cuts all connection between the drone and the internet.
With an eye to outraged consumers — especially farmers who use drone technology — Welsh wrote that a ban “would lead to widespread consumer confusion and deprive American drone users of due process — and of answers about the safety and security of the DJI products they use every day. Failing to undertake the review further goes against Congressional intent for a security review to be completed.”
The administration hasn’t commented on the open letters yet, but in the past, Hegseth’s department has claimed — without evidence — that DJI is a Chinese military company.
