Following up on their successful efforts to pass a TikTok ban, U.S. legislators apparently have their sites next on the drone industry, and DJI in particular, the brand warns on recent social media posts. If you haven’t been following this story, this might come as both a surprise, as well as an empty threat.

But, coming from DJI’s recent messaging surrounding this topic, it appears that the Chinese-based drone technology company is quite worried that Congress could indeed pass legislation that could impact its ability to operate in the United States—and could so as early as June of this year.

Here’s everything you need to know about this DJI drone news and how you might want to prepare to adjust accordingly if needed.

DJI Drones in the Crosshairs

If you’re already a DJI drone owner or at least an occasional user, you might also follow the brand on social media—which means you might have seen a recent post from the brand that warns of this expected move against DJI by the U.S. Congress.

Here’s the full message from DJI’s official accounts:

A bill against DJI is expected to move in the U.S. Congress in June, which would impact U.S. operators‘ access to DJI drones. This applies to recreational, commercial, and government use.
If DJI’s FCC authorizations are revoked, U.S. operators would no longer be able to access new DJI drones, and their existing drone fleets may even need to be grounded.
This bill is based on inaccurate claims and contradicts a technology-based policy approach that would raise the bar on drone security overall. — DJI

The post ends with the brand urging its audience to take action by supporting the Drone Advocacy Alliance, which further outlines ways for DJI drone supporters to contact their local representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A Major Impact on the Drone Market

For those of us who work in film and video, DJI has become synonymous with drone videography technology and has cemented itself as the flagship brand for this type of aerial cinematography. Yet, a Countering CCP Drones Act bill has been introduced by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) of the U.S. House of Representatives and appears to be quickly moving closer to being passed.

According to reports and interviews from the past year, it sounds like DJI has countered by maintaining that the company does “not collect flight logs, photos, or video,” as well as clearly clarifying that “DJI is not a military company” and that they are following “the rules and regulations in the markets it operates in.”

What we do know though is that DJI is ramping up the rhetoric and imploring its followers to take action now, signaling that the brand thinks that these threats are serious and that the company's future in the US could be in jeopardy.

We’ll keep you posted as things develop, as well as encourage you to look for more info about this topic as you decide how you might want to support, or pivot, your own drone videography operations.

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