In a new post on the DJI blog that paints perhaps the most dire picture yet, the company is again urging its users to speak up if they’re concerned about a potential DJI drone ban going into effect. Now, as is always the case with geopolitical topics, there’s a lot to explore here.

But, for those simply interested in knowing what this could actually mean for their current (or future) DJI drones, we’ll do our best to interpret what this new post from DJI is letting us know.

The big headline here, though, is that the date that Congress set for a formal national security audit of two Chinese drone manufacturers (including DJI) is coming up fast, yet it does not appear that the process to begin the audit has begun.


DJI Drone Ban Continues to Loom

According to the latest DJI post on the company’s blog, all of these concerns have to do with the same FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the deadline for a formal national security audit.

If no audit is completed by this December 23rd date, DJI will automatically be added to the FCC’s “Covered List,” which—according to DJI—will effectively ban new DJI products from entering the US market.

What DJI Users Should Expect

If all things hold as is, DJI sure is making it sound like this “effective” drone ban is going to go into effect here sometime on or around December 23rd. Keep in mind, though, even according to DJI, that this would only affect new products.

As of right now, DJI seems to be indicating that even if this ban goes into action, all of your current DJI drones will still be able to operate in the US. It would just be new drones not being available in the US.

Which, as of right now, has also become DJI policy as the company has decided again and again not to release many of its new products (particularly drones like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro) in the US. A preemptive move with this ban looming.

Why is DJI Facing This Ban?

One interesting tidbit from the DJI post sheds some new light on why DJI is in this predicament in the first place. DJI, according to the company’s post, hasn’t done something “wrong” per se. The company claims that there is no foundation behind these bans and cites two examples:

  • Designating DJI as a “Chinese Military Company”: The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently issued a decision regarding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) designation of DJI as a “Chinese Military Company.” While the Court ultimately allowed the designation to stand - based on DJI being recognized as a National Enterprise Technology Center and the DoD’s assertion that DJI’s technology has “substantial dual-use applications” - it also affirmatively rejected most of DOD’s allegations. It found no basis for DoD’s claims that DJI is owned or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, affiliated with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or affiliated with a military-civil fusion enterprise zone.
  • Customs and Border Patrol Allegations: Our customers in the U.S. have been facing difficulty accessing our products due to a customs-related misunderstanding affecting our ability to import certain drones into the country. This appears to be part of a broader Department of Homeland Security initiative to scrutinise product origins, particularly those of Chinese-made drones. To be clear: this is a customs matter, not a ban, and the evidence clearly demonstrates DJI’s compliance with all existing laws.

DJI further shares that the company has lodged an appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and that it is taking all possible measures to prevent its products from being used in combat.

What Can DJI Users Do to Help?

If you’re invested in this geopolitical battle and would like to see what you can do, DJI continues to urge its users and fanbase to make their voices heard. DJI recommends checking out this link to help speak up.

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