'TikTok With Wings': House Republicans Take Aim at DJI Drones

The Countering CCP Drones Act would add DJI to FCC’s “covered list.”

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 05:43 PM ET

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DJI’s newly released Mavic 3 Pro may soon be banned by the FCC. [Credit: DJI]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. lawmakers have introduced the "Countering CCP Drones Act" to add Chinese drone manufacturer DJI to the FCC's "covered list," aiming to ban it from U.S. government use and its contractors due to national security concerns.
Concerns stem from allegations that DJI drones could be used to transmit sensitive data and live imagery from U.S. military installations and critical infrastructure to China, posing a similar threat to TikTok.
While DJI asserts its independence and highlights data security features like encryption and offline operation, reports indicate the company has received funding from state-backed Chinese investors, casting doubt on its complete autonomy.
Despite strong warnings from U.S. officials and the potential for data collection, the article notes that there is currently no conclusive evidence that DJI drones are actively transmitting data back to China for espionage purposes.

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Da-Jiang Innovations, better known as DJI, may have poked the bear.

The Chinese drone manufacturer, which has drawn scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers at the state and federal levels and was blacklisted by the Department of Defense, could soon be banned from government use entirely if a bill introduced Wednesday by Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin) passes.