Chinese drone maker says that a rushed evaluation may lead to unfair outcomes
DJI, the world’s largest commercial drone manufacturer, has expressed strong concerns about a recent request from U.S. lawmakers calling for an accelerated national security review of Chinese-manufactured drones. In a blog post titled “Don’t Ground Innovation: The Real-World Cost of Banning DJI in the U.S.”, the company argues that the security review process is being short-circuited and warns that such a move risks undermining the intent of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Lawmakers Push for Accelerated Timeline
On July 10, 2025, Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), John Moolenaar (R-MI), and Rick Crawford (R-AR) submitted a formal request urging the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and other federal agencies to initiate a comprehensive review of DJI and other Chinese drone manufacturers. The lawmakers cited concerns that these platforms could present cybersecurity or operational risks in the event of a conflict with China. They called for a preliminary report within 30 days.
This request builds upon language in the NDAA FY25, which requires the federal government to conduct a security review of Chinese-manufactured drone platforms. If the review is not completed within one year, companies like DJI would automatically be placed on the FCC’s Covered List—severely restricting their ability to operate in the U.S. by limiting access to telecommunications infrastructure and spectrum.
DJI’s Response
DJI says a 30-day deadline is unrealistic for the type of comprehensive evaluation that Congress originally intended. “A credible assessment must allow time for evidence to be reviewed, and it must include meaningful opportunities for engagement, clarification, and responsible dialogue. We urge policymakers to uphold the intent of the law by ensuring that this review is transparent, grounded in evidence, and not rushed,” states the company.
DJI maintains that its products are safe and secure, widely used across public safety, agriculture, construction, and infrastructure sectors. The company warns that a rushed review could lead to unintended consequences for the broader U.S. drone ecosystem.
A Market in Tension
Proponents of restricting DJI argue that its market dominance—estimated to be over 70% in the U.S.—poses national security risks. These concerns have already led to a patchwork of state and federal bans on the use of DJI drones in government operations.
On the other hand, many users say that U.S.-manufactured alternatives are not yet able to match DJI’s combination of features, performance, and price. DJI drones are widely used in construction, energy, agriculture, and emergency response.
This tension has led to a Catch-22 in the U.S. drone ecosystem. Domestic manufacturers argue that DJI’s dominance comes from unfair pricing and that banning DJI would create enough demand to drive innovation and lower prices in the U.S. drone sector. But until that market shift occurs, many users—particularly in public safety and small business sectors—worry they will be left without viable tools.
Customs Delays and Supply Uncertainty
The current uncertainty is already affecting the availability of DJI products in the United States. As previously reported by DRONELIFE, drone importers have faced delays due to increased scrutiny at U.S. Customs, with some shipments held up for weeks. While not officially tied to the NDAA provision, these delays add to the concerns of drone operators who rely on DJI systems for their operations.
What’s Next?
As the review process unfolds, the future of DJI in the U.S. market remains uncertain. If the company is placed on the FCC’s Covered List, public safety agencies, small businesses, and infrastructure firms could face significant operational disruptions. Meanwhile, domestic drone manufacturers continue to advocate for policy measures that could give them a stronger foothold in the market.
The outcome of this debate will shape the U.S. drone industry for years to come—balancing concerns over national security with the practical demands of a growing technology sector.
- DJI Drones Face Unprecedented Scarcity in U.S. Consumer Market
- DJI Calls for Mandated Security Assessment as NDAA Deadline Approaches
- NDAA FY25: Key Takeaways for the Drone Industry
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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I am owner of Dji movic2 I have buy it for security company how it can have help me navigate through security guards
It’s silly mostly.
There ARE ways to resolve this. The drone itself is just a random collection of components that gather data. It’s the data that people are concerned with, and THAT is where they should be focussing. If the concern is that the data could be used in some other ways, require that all of the data be hosted at a partner within the United States. The drones themselves don’t have the ability to transmit data overseas, they can only downlink data. So you need to simply validate that no drone operating in the US can deliver its data to anything other than its downlink (through encryption or other) and then put some regulations around those endpoints.
Its not rocket science. The IT industry does endpoint protection ALL THE TIME. If you want to secure the data – secure the DATA. This is smaller variant of the TikTok concern, and quite honestly something that should be done far broader than TikTok and DJI. If you want to secure American data – regulate how that should be done like many other countries already do with GDPR and similar. You can make sure that data collected by ANY company that’s supposed to remain in the US – STAYS in the US.
I currently own a DJI Mini Pro 4 along with drones from other brands. When it comes to technology, battery life, and overall functionality, nothing in its class compares. I understand the push for protectionism and the call to support U.S.-made products—but undermining innovation from abroad isn’t the answer. The U.S. has always been capable of leading through ingenuity, and I hope we rise to that challenge, especially in the drone space. Targeting DJI in this way doesn’t show strength—it shows fear. Instead of trying to block the competition, step up, innovate, and build something better.
I have my part 107 and I use my mavic 3 pro for work. I work for a construction company. I do all there photography and cinematography for there roofing business.
I am 76 yrs old and enjoy flying my old Phantom IV, I have an FAA 107 UAV license. However, my drone is 7 years old and worn out. I was looking at purchasing a new DJI drone but because there are doubts about the continued support from DJI due to US Government restrictions, and lack of supply, I must hold off. There are no viable US drone manufacturers just as readily as DJI.
We need to start a petition. There’s so many of us DJI pilots in the United States and as a commercial pilot myself with a business going on 10 years now I can’t afford to lose access to DJI drones.