The Countering CCP Drones Act has taken a step closer to becoming law in the United States. If the Act is introduced, it will ban the sale and use of DJI drones in the country.
What is the Countering CCP Drones Act?
The Countering CCP Drones Act was introduced to the House of Representatives in April 2023 by Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. If it becomes law, the Act will add DJI to a list maintained by the FCC of companies that pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. This means DJI will be banned from selling any products in the U.S. It could also result in the company’s FCC authorizations being revoked. This means that U.S. operators would be banned from using their DJI drones.
What has happened?
The Countering CCP Drones Act was passed by the House of Representatives and has now been received by the Senate. The official Congress record shows that the Act has been read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Congresswoman Stefanik said, “For years, the U.S. government has known that DJI presents unacceptable economic and national security risks, but no one was willing to take the necessary steps to remove Communist Chinese spy drones from our skies. That changed today.”
DJI’s response
DJI is continuing to defend itself and challenge the Countering CCP Drones Act. The company published a detailed response earlier this year. It has also established the Drone Advocacy Alliance to work with drone users as well as industry stakeholders and legislators. Even as the legislation was being passed by the House, DJI was requesting support on social media. In addition, a number of first responder groups have expressed concern over the risk posed by banning DJI drones.
What next?
The Countering CCP Drones Act will now be debated by the Senate. This could result in the legislation being amended before it gets to a vote. However, if it’s passed by the Senate then it will go the President to be signed into law. Congresswoman Stefanik said, “It is strategically irresponsible to allow Communist China to be our drone factory. It is now critical that the Senate include this legislation in their National Defense Authorization Act.”
What we think
Over the past 18 months, there have been a lot of news stories about the Countering CCP Drones Act. While these articles explained that DJI drones could be banned in the U.S., some users dismissed these concerns as scaremongering. However, now it has been passed to the Senate, the Act is one step closer to becoming law. There is still time for the Senate to amend the legislation before it’s voted on, but it’s a worrying time for DJI owners.
