FCC bans foreign drones, including DJI

[Flyaway]

This is more about economic protectionism than it is protecting national security. As it’s not just Chinese companies but all foreign companies. It’s also rank hypocrisy considering how often the US has complained about being barred or having difficulty entering other countries markets. The more the US does this the less grounds it has to stand on in this matter.

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/us-ban-dji-drone-security-china-b2889507.html
https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/...hotography-and-videography-far-more-expensive
https://mashable.com/article/fcc-bans-foreign-drones-including-dji-what-happens-next

 

[Richard N]

My friends and fellow RC pilots on their RC Roundtable Podcast talk about the FCC's recent statement on drone materials:

View: https://youtu.be/mF_bps6snd4?t=1773

 

[jeffb]

I wonder how much of this ban is related to stuff described below.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/the-drone-war-in-mexico.45301/

 

[Halcyon66]

Should have done it years ago, for so long every mil base in the world was using DJI drones in one way or another and you can guarantee all the geospatial data was heading back to the mother ship (China) in one way or another.

Add to that police, first responders, millions of hobby users and the list goes on.

China would have a perfect 3D map of the world for targeting via images down to cm.

https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/6/10/308
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-84747-9
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-91394-1?fromPaywallRec=false
Regards,

 

[Dilandu]

This is more about economic protectionism than it is protecting national security. As it’s not just Chinese companies but all foreign companies. It’s also rank hypocrisy considering how often the US has complained about being barred or having difficulty entering other countries markets. The more the US does this the less grounds it has to stand on in this matter.

Sooooo... basically US now are left without the sources of cheap drones?

 

[martinbayer]

Sooooo... basically US now are left without the sources of cheap drones?

Well, given the overall federal USG CIA/DOD/FBI/NCIS/NSA/OGA/ETC, this actually does not sound quite as scary as you maybe think it does...

 

[EmoBirb]

This does actually not sound quite as scary as you maybe think it does...

When the country you're antagonizing over the past 10 years has all the cheap drones, it should sound scary.

 

[martinbayer]

When the country you're antagonizing over the past 10 years has all the cheap drones, it should sound scary.

Well, you see, the thing is, the USG can well afford to use non-dirt *cheap drones*, as it has quite successfully for the last few decades, and as for any pesky wannabe intruder drones, there's always https://www.boeing.com/content/dam/...e-directed_energy/images/CLWS-second-page.pdf...

 

[Flyaway]

Well, given the overall federal USG CIA/DOD/FBI/NCIS/NSA/OGA/ETC, this actually does not sound quite as scary as you maybe think it does...

I notice you missed off local law enforcement services, emergency services etc. If they are anything like the UK the latter too are never as well funded as people seem to think.

 

[Dilandu]

Well, you see, the thing is, the USG can well afford to use non-dirt *cheap drones*

I take it the idea is to boost domestic drone production through protectionist limitations?

 

[Grey Havoc]

In part at least.