Congress Didn’t Ban DJI, But The Commerce Department Still Might

The United States Department of Commerce has said it is considering new rules that could potentially ban Chinese drones, including DJI, in the U.S. citing national security concerns.

In a notice released yesterday, the Commerce Department says drones that are designed, developed, and manufactured in hostile countries such as China and Russia could pose “undue or unacceptable risk to U.S. national security” adding that these drones “may offer our adversaries the ability to remotely access and manipulate these devices, exposing sensitive U.S. data.”

China dominates the U.S. drone market: at least 75 percent of all devices are made in China. DJI alone sells half of all drones in the United States.

In September, the House of Representatives voted to ban newly-made DJI drones from operating in the U.S. In October, DJI filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Defense (DoD) concerning the department’s declaring the Chinese drone company a “Chinese military company.”

Ultimately, Congress didn’t include the Countering CCP Drones Act meaning DJI was allowed to continue operating or selling products in the United States.

But Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo says that the proposed ban on Chinese drones would be “an essential step in protecting the United States from vulnerabilities posed by foreign entities.” While adding that securing the aircraft systems technology supply chain was “critical to safeguarding our national security.”

The Commerce Department says that drones could be used to gather information about critical infrastructure or even used as a weapon to collide with buildings or deliver an explosive payload.

The department also expresses concern over updates sent by drone companies citing previous updates when no-fly zones have been created and defined by China-based firms.

The New York Times reports that this proposed ban is part of a wider effort by the Biden administration to stem potential dangers of high tech products made overseas that collect data on the United States. The Department is also proposing a ban on the sale of Chinese vehicles.

Reuters reports that the decision to implement the new rules banning Chinese drones will be made by President-elect Trump’s administration, which takes charge on January 20.

Image credits: Featured image by Ryan Mense for PetaPixel