There have been several attempts to ban DJI drones in the US, with the most common reason being the risk of Chinese intelligence. Today DJI published a blog post saying its drones could be banned in December 2025 if action is not taken now.
Under the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by Congress in December last year, US security agencies are required to conduct a formal assessment of Chinese-made drones. The audit will be conducted within a year to fairly determine whether existing drone technology poses a real risk or not.
Six months later, the security agency has yet to conduct an audit of DJI, despite a request to do so being sent in March. DJI says it does not want to be the victim of a ban due to the authorities’ failure to conduct an audit within the stipulated time. DJI insists it is prepared to be audited and believes no security issues will be found.
DJI is now urging its customers to contact their congressional representatives to begin the audit process because the NDAA could not only prevent new drones from being sold but also ban existing drones from being flown.
In May, there were rumors that President Trump would issue an executive order banning Chinese-made drones by not approving licenses for the wireless radio equipment used to control the drones. Without this approval, new drones cannot be marketed and even if imported illegally, owners could face legal action.