Potential U.S. DJI Ban

By MATTHEW WEISSMAN

National security concerns about sales in the U.S. of drones made by Chinese companies such as DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, led Congress to include a provision in the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act requiring a national security audit to be performed on Chinese-made drones by December 23, 2025. If no such audit is performed, Chinese-made drones will be barred from new sales in the U.S.

As of June 2025, no U.S. government agency has initiated the required audit, meaning it is looking increasingly possible that drones made by DJI and other Chinese companies could be pulled off the shelves. This ban would also mean that current users of Chinese drones would not be able to obtain new software updates, which could hurt America’s infrastructure due to drones’ uses in industries such as agriculture and firefighting. DJI has urged the U.S. government to conduct the audits they need so that DJI can continue doing business in the U.S., and to support that effort DJI launched the Drone Advocacy Alliance, where they urge farmers, police, firefighters, filmmakers, and other drone users to express their concerns about the potential ban to lawmakers.

The government should act quickly to address its security concerns by performing the audits contemplated by the NDAA. Otherwise, imposing a ban would leave government agencies and other consumers who rely on drones without the highest performing, most widely used options – without there having been any substantiation of security concerns.

Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal opinion based on publicly available information. I do not represent any company or government, and I respect the policies and laws of all countries mentioned.