If you’ve seen the recent headlines - or noticed DJI products getting harder to find on shelves - you might be wondering what’s really happening, and what it means for you.
Give me the TL;DR
A critical deadline that could ban DJI from releasing new products in the U.S. is now just weeks away. Under the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress set 23 December 2025 as the deadline for a formal national security audit of two Chinese drone manufacturers, including DJI. DJI has repeatedly and publicly requested for a fair, transparent, and timely audit, but - as far as we can tell - the process has not begun.
If no audit is completed by that date, DJI will be automatically added to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “Covered List” - a move that would effectively ban new DJI products from entering the U.S. market.
What does this mean for DJI users?
If DJI is added to the Covered List, we would no longer be able to launch new products in the U.S. While you could continue to use the DJI products you already own, you wouldn’t be able to access any new products we release, and you may not even be able to purchase DJI products already available in the market. This listing is expected to impact all DJI products - not just DJI drones. The rules remain unclear, but the risk is real.
Why hasn’t the NDAA audit happened yet?
DJI has repeatedly called for the required audit to take place, but the problem lies in how the law was written: the NDAA did not assign any U.S. agency to actually conduct the audit. Despite our ongoing efforts, no agency has stepped forward to take on the responsibility.
That means DJI could face a market ban without any review or due process - not because of any wrongdoing, but because of a legislative gap and continued government inaction.
What happens to my existing DJI products?
Even if DJI were added to the FCC’s Covered List, you would still be able to use your current DJI equipment. However, a listing could block future purchases of DJI products - even those already on shelves in the U.S. So while your current drones would still function, the future availability of products and upgrades could be at risk.
Well, DJI products are already hard to find in the U.S… so I have to wonder why DJI is facing all of this when it hasn’t done anything wrong?
It’s a fair question - and the short answer is that this isn’t about DJI doing something “wrong”. While there has been constant scrutiny and allegations directed at DJI since 2017, there has never been any real foundation behind them. Here are two recent examples:
Designating DJI as a “Chinese Military Company”: The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently issued a decision regarding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) designation of DJI as a “Chinese Military Company.” While the Court ultimately allowed the designation to stand - based on DJI being recognized as a National Enterprise Technology Center and the DoD’s assertion that DJI’s technology has “substantial dual-use applications” - it also affirmatively rejected most of DOD’s allegations. It found no basis for DoD’s claims that DJI is owned or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, affiliated with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or affiliated with a military-civil fusion enterprise zone.
We have therefore lodged an appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and reaffirmed DJI’s long history of taking all possible measures to prevent our products from being used in combat. We were the first drone company to publicly denounce and actively discourage the combat use of drones, and we have never manufactured military equipment or marketed our products for combat. Our distributors, resellers, and business partners also adhere to this commitment, agreeing not to sell or modify DJI products for military use, with clear consequences for any breach of this policy.
Customs and Border Patrol Allegations: Our customers in the U.S. have been facing difficulty accessing our products due to a customs-related misunderstanding affecting our ability to import certain drones into the country. This appears to be part of a broader Department of Homeland Security initiative to scrutinise product origins, particularly those of Chinese-made drones. To be clear: this is a customs matter, not a ban, and the evidence clearly demonstrates DJI’s compliance with all existing laws.
So why is DJI facing constant scrutiny in the U.S.?
This situation is largely driven by broader geopolitical tensions surrounding technology and trade, and the fact that DJI is the global market leader in drones and headquartered in China.
Kicking DJI out of the U.S. market would also benefit domestic drone manufacturers seeking to expand but we’ve never been opposed to their growth. In fact, we support it, particularly as they focus on sensitive U.S. government as well as military applications, areas for which DJI products are not developed nor suited for.
Removing DJI from the U.S. market without just cause or due process would only harm the hundreds of thousands of drone operators who use our products for civilian, creative, and commercial purposes. Domestic manufacturers are not producing drones for these users so they will be left without access to the reliable tools they need to conduct their work.
It’s also important to note that such measures wouldn’t just affect drones. Access to DJI’s wider range of products - including our cameras and filmmaking equipment - would be impacted too. This shows how broad and untargeted these actions would be, and how far their effects could ripple across creative and commercial industries.
It is in this environment that we’ve continued to call for a fair and transparent audit all year. But without an agency stepping up to take responsibility, DJI could be banned by default - despite a long record of setting global standards for safe, secure, and reliable drone technology. You can read about the independent security audits and certifications that have been conducted on DJI products since 2017 from our Trust Center.
Why Is DJI Only Acting on This Now?
We’ve actually been calling for this audit since the FY25 NDAA was signed into law. We’ve sent letters and engaged with government officials throughout the year, urging a fair, transparent process. We have made clear we are open to dialogue with the Administration on what additional measures we can take to ensure our products continue to lead on data security.
But time is running out - and a proper audit cannot realistically be completed in the short period remaining before the deadline. That’s why we are now also calling for a reasonable extension of the deadline to make a genuine, fact-based review possible.
What Can DJI Users Do?
We believe facts - not politics - should shape the future of drone innovation. If you use DJI products, your voice matters. Lawmakers need to hear how a potential ban would affect you, your business, and your community.
Click here to make your voice heard. If you’ve already spoken up, ask three friends who use DJI products to do the same.
It only takes a few minutes, but together, we can ensure that fair, evidence-based decisions define the future of drones in the U.S.