The writing was on the wall. Given the national security threat that foreign-made drones - including those from China's DJI - represent, it was only a matter of time before the US banned such "uncrewed aircraft systems" (UAS). And, that ban has now come in the form of a formal inclusion in the FCC's "Covered List."
The US FCC has added drones from DJI and other foreign manufacturers to its "Covered List"
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has now added foreign-made drones as well as foreign-made critical components for those drones to its "Covered List," which deals with services and equipment that "pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons."
Concurrently, the FCC has also added foreign-made communications and video surveillance equipment and services - a catch-all term that effectively encompasses anything with a wireless radio - to its "Covered List."
Basically, you will not be able to buy a DJI drone in the US or import one. You will also not be able to import any of its components or replacement parts.
The move, however, does not affect the sale and purchase of drones manufactured in the US, such as those from Freefly Systems.
The FCC's latest measure is intended to "reduce the risk of direct UAS attacks and disruptions, unauthorized surveillance, sensitive data exfiltration, and other UAS threats to the homeland."
Ahead of this measure, various US government agencies have warned of the risk to US national security and the privacy of American citizens from foreign-made drones in general and those from DJI in particular.
These concerns are heightened by the fact that DJI has already been designated a "Chinese military company" by the US Department of Defense. The company has also been accused of facilitating the surveillance and other human rights abuses of China's Uighur minority, a charge that resulted in its inclusion in the US Commerce Department's so-called "Entities List" in 2020.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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