US Congress Considers Ban On New Drones From DJI And Autel Robotics

JAKARTA A drone manufacturer from China, DJI, and Autel Robotics, faces the threat of a ban on the sale of new products in the United States market. This is stated in the draft military annual law scheduled to be decided by the US House of Representatives this week.

The 1,800-page bill requires national security agencies to determine within one year whether drones from DJI or Autel Robotics pose an unacceptable national security risk.

DJI, which is the world's largest drone manufacturer with a share of more than half of the US commercial drone market, says that if no agency completes the study, DJI will automatically be included in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) "closed List".

"This means we will be barred from launching new products in the US market, not because of our mistakes, but solely because no body has chosen to study our products," DJI said.

DJI also considered that drones from China received unfair attention, adding that the company proactively handed over its products for periodic independent security audits and expanded user privacy control in consumer drones and its business.

Autel Robotics has yet to comment on this. Last year, a bipartisan group of 11 lawmakers asked the Joe Biden administration to investigate and possibly impose sanctions on Autel, citing concerns over national security.

In September, the US House of Representatives voted to ban the operation of new drones from DJI in the United States. Meanwhile, the US Department of Commerce is considering restrictions on drones from China, which if implemented would effectively ban them in the US market, similar to proposals for restrictions on vehicles from China.

On the other hand, DJI last October sued the US Department of Defense over the decision to include the company on the list of entities suspected of collaborating with the Beijing military. DJI said the decision was wrong and financially detrimental.

In addition, DJI also revealed that Customs and Border Protection have stopped imports of several DJI drones on the grounds of the Uyghur Forced Work Prevention Act, although DJI confirmed that no forced labor was involved in its manufacturing process.

US lawmakers continue to worry about the potential risk of national data, surveillance and security transmission from DJI drones, although these claims are firmly denied by the company.