DroneSpot

With Congress only hours away from deciding the future of tech giant DJI in the United States, here’s what the “Countering CCP Drones Act” (HR 2864) means for the drones you already own.

Here is the link to the official information

HR 2864 mandates that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) add DJI to its “Covered List.” If DJI is included on this list, the FCC would no longer be able to approve new equipment authorizations for DJI products or software in the US. The agency could also establish a process to revoke existing authorizations.

This means no new DJI products would be approved in the US, cutting off access to the company’s latest innovations. Additionally, currently approved DJI drones in the US may be grounded in the future. The bill could also extend to any software capable of operating on DJI products, including those produced by US software developers, subjecting them to the same restrictions.

However, it’s important to note that the “Countering CCP Drones Act” is unlikely to have an immediate impact on your current drone fleet and the software you use. Nonetheless, we cannot ignore that the FCC has the authority to create a process to revoke the equipment authorizations for your existing drone models in the future.

Such an action by the FCC would allow the federal government to decide at any time that you are no longer permitted to fly the DJI drones or use the software running on DJI drones that you have already purchased, regardless of whether you are flying for business, public safety, or recreational purposes. DJI estimates that the financial impact of such a ban could be as high as $116 billion.

Why is this happening? The legislative push seems to be driven by a combination of fear-mongering and misinformation regarding DJI’s security protocols and operational practices. These concerns are being amplified by the current geopolitical climate and efforts to stifle market competition.

“The lawmakers driving this legislation continue to reference inaccurate and unsubstantiated allegations regarding DJI’s operations and have amplified xenophobic narratives in a quest to support local drone manufacturers and eliminate market competition,” says DJI.