After forcing the sale of TikTok, US lawmakers turned their attention to DJI. The authorities consider that the drone company is a threat to national security, so they will try to shut down its activity at all costs.
After TikTok, it could be DJI
According to The New York Times, DJI faces a possible flight ban in the United States (for the 2nd time). The bill would place drones on a Federal Communications Commission list, which would prevent them from operating in the country's communications infrastructure. The proposal has strong bipartisan support, fueled by anxiety over China's access to sensitive data.
Lawmakers suspect that DJI drones could be collecting information about critical infrastructure and sending it to China. DJI vehemently denies these allegations and emphasizes the safety of its products. In the crossfire are everyday users, a significant part of DJI's business.
The trade war between the US and China is key to increasing pressure and the recent forced sale of TikTok further reinforces the argument in favor of stricter regulation of Chinese technology in the US.
The company is struggling, but the odds are against it
A few months ago, the Ministry of Defense banned the purchase of DJI drones, while other federal agencies left it out of their budgets. The fight against the Chinese company began in late 2021, when the US Treasury Department added DJI to its blacklist for promoting biometric surveillance and spying on Chinese minorities.
According to the government agency, DJI's parent company provided drones to the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau. By being blacklisted, North American companies cannot invest in DJI, although it is not prevented from selling its products.
DJI poses an unacceptable risk to national security and it is time for drones manufactured by communist China to be removed from the United States.
Said Elise Stefanik, Republican representative from New York. John Moolenaar, a Republican, added that there is a need to build a robust and competitive drone industry in the US. The threat was not well received by DJIwhich claims that its drones comply with safety rules.
Our products are designed and intended to promote the general good and benefit society.
Said Regina Lin, DJI spokesperson.
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