As the U.S. Government moves closer to banning DJI’s drones, U.S. manufacturer Skydio has come under fire. Drone users claim that Skydio has lobbied the U.S. Government in support of the ban for commercial reasons. Now Skydio CEO, Adam Bry, has taken to LinkedIn to defend the company’s actions.
Countering CCP Drones Act
The Countering CCP Drones Act was passed by the House of Representatives at the end of last month. While this doesn’t mean it is the law just yet, it’s one step closer. The Act will add DJI to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) list of companies designated as threats to national security. If this happens, DJI technologies would be prohibited from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure. DJI defended itself against the Act back in March, but the plea appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
What is Skydio’s role in all of this?
In August last year, Skydio announced that it had stopped selling its drones to consumers. However, the company still supplies business customers in sectors such as public safety, transportation, energy, construction, and defense. Skydio also actively lobbies the U.S. Government, contributing over half a million dollars in 2022 and 2023. The company has already spent $170,000 lobbying this year. In addition, in June this year, Adam Bry testified before Congress’s China Select Committee in a hearing on “Chips, Ships, and Drones.”
LinkedIn defense
In his LinkedIn post, Bry said that “a few folks have aimed a pretty extreme level of hate at Skydio.” He said that those people claimed Skydio was “responsible for restrictions on Chinese drones because we’re focusing all of our energy on trying to lobby our competitors out of the market.” Bry also stated that with the LinkedIn post, “I’m writing to address this head-on.”
Protectionist measures
Bry denied that the restrictions on Chinese drones were “protectionist measures based on lobbying by the U.S. drone industry.” However, he did state that “relying on these drones for applications like national defense, critical infrastructure inspection, and public safety is generally a bad idea.” Bry also confirmed that Skydio advocated for a “strong US drone industry” and that “this sometimes involves conversations with policymakers about the risks of Chinese drones.” But on the Countering CCP Drone Act, he stated, “We had nothing to do with it and have not lobbied in favor of it.”
Public response
Bry’s LinkedIn post has received a mixed response at the time of writing. Amongst the comments that have been posted, there are a number in support of Skydio’s actions. However, there have also been some very critical responses. Luis Figueiredo, a law enforcement professional, wrote, “Your lobbying doesn’t just threaten public safety—it endangers thousands of small businesses that rely on this technology to survive.” In addition, Kyle Nordfors, the UAS Chairman of the Mountain Rescue Association, commented, “You and your company have had an enormous NEGATIVE effect on this industry. The efforts you have paid lobbyists to push for endanger American lives.”
What we think
It’s clear that passions are running high as the U.S. Government’s ban on DJI drones gets closer. Those opposed to the Countering CCP Drones Act have been keen to throw blame on Skydio. Given the company’s lobbying and Bry’s participation in Congressional hearings, this isn’t a surprise. Skydio also stands to gain commercially if DJI is taken out of the U.S. drone market. However, it’s important to state that DJI also lobbies the U.S. Government and spent over $1.5 million last year, three times Skydio’s contribution. Bry also claimed that Government actions against Chinese drones predated Skydio even having a product. Whatever the motivations behind the Act, it’s clear that many small businesses will be very adversely affected if the ban comes into force.
