The U.S. federal government could bring about an end to DJI in the country if a bill pushed by the House of Energy and Commerce Committee last month passes in the future. Since the drone maker is Chinese in origin, various lawmakers believe that the company and its fleet of drones pose a security risk for the nation, which is bad news for anyone who captures footage or has work centered around these devices.
Called the Countering CCP Drones Act, DJI could be added to the FCC’s list of companies whose equipment presents a national security risk
The Countering CCP Drones Act was first introduced in 2022 by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who informed The New York Times that government agencies have discovered that DJI provides crucial information about U.S. infrastructure to China. The ranking Member of the Select Committee on the CCP, Raja Krishnamoorthi, has stated that the new legislation will protect communications while viewing DJI as a national security risk.
“Based on DJI’s ties to the CCP, the Administration has shown that DJI is a threat to our national security and has already placed the company on multiple government entity lists. Our legislation will further protect our communications equipment while strengthening American supply chains by ensuring foreign-manufactured technologies that pose serious security threats, such as DJI’s, cannot operate in American networks.”
However, it is not the first time for DJI that the U.S. government has taken severe action against it. To refresh your memory, back in 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce put the consumer drone manufacturer on the Entity List, which prevented any U.S. firm from exporting technology to DJI. Later, the U.S. Treasury added the company to its Chinese Military-Industrial Complex list over reports that its drones were used to record surveillance of China’s Muslim Uyghur minority.
Unsurprisingly, DJI responded to these claims in a blog post, stating that the U.S. continues to put up false allegations against the firm. If you scroll down the post, you will notice that DJI has addressed potential worries by stating that it does not collect flight logs, photos, or videos by default. Instead, operators have to agree to share this data, and thankfully, those who wish to follow those extra precautions can choose to enable Local Data Mode.
“The lawmakers driving this legislation continue to reference inaccurate and unsubstantiated allegations regarding DJI’s operations, and have amplified xenophobic narratives in a quest to support local drone manufacturers and eliminate market competition.”
It appears that Chinese companies are in the crosshairs of U.S. lawmakers, with only recently, President Joe Biden signing a bill that could ban TikTok in the country. Back in 2019, various companies were forced to cut off their partnership with Huawei, but the latter bounced back incredibly, now selling its latest Pura 70 flagship series with the new Kirin 9010. Whether or not DJI has to endure a fate similar to that of the former Chinese smartphone giant is anyone’s guess, but we will continue providing updated information in the future.
News Source: The New York Times
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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