FCC proposes retroactive ban on previously approved DJI drones and components

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed expanding a ban on foreign-made drones—including products it had previously approved and that are currently being sold in stores.

Key Details of the Proposal

Two FCC agencies "propose to prohibit the continued importation and marketing of certain previously authorized equipment that has been determined to 'pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons,'" according to a notice published July 17.

"In particular, we propose to apply such prohibitions to certain previously-authorized foreign-produced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS critical components, and certain communications and video surveillance equipment."

The ban would apply not only to drones and drone parts but also to components such as cameras.

Manufacturers Named

The notice identifies nine manufacturers by name, which the FCC suspects are front companies repackaging and selling products by DJI—a Chinese company that accounts for over 90 percent of the global consumer drone market.

Earlier this month, after eight of the named companies failed to respond to requests for information, the FCC proposed fining each one $25,000.

Legal Background

Federal law directs the FCC to maintain a list of "communications equipment or services that pose a national security risk." The agency then prohibits any equipment on the "covered" list from being sold, imported, or advertised in the U.S. by refusing to authorize its transmitters.

In December, the FCC banned all drones and drone components produced outside the U.S. "Ensuring a strong and resilient drone industrial base is an economic and national security priority. Relying on foreign-made UAS threatens national security," the notice stated, though it provided no specifics.

What Makes This Proposal Different

The December ban clarified that it "does not impact a consumer's ability to continue using drones they previously purchased or acquired," nor would it prevent "retailers from continuing to sell, import, or market" previously approved models.

The new proposal goes further by explicitly seeking to ban devices the FCC had already approved for sale—many of which are currently on store shelves.

The agency granted itself this authority in October 2025, voting to "revise" its rules "by adopting a mechanism to limit the continued importation and marketing of such previously authorized covered equipment." The new rule directed regulators to conduct a "public interest analysis" on each item, "giv[ing] particular weight to the fact that the relevant equipment was determined to pose 'an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the safety and security of United States persons.'"

Potential Impact

"If the FCC's retroactive ban goes into effect, [covered products] should disappear from all major online retailers," Sean Hollister writes at The Verge, "and the company may even need to write off however many cameras are still sitting in US warehouses like Amazon's."

Background on DJI and National Security Concerns

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has long supported banning DJI, calling for adding the company to the covered list in 2021. A 2017 Department of Homeland Security intelligence bulletin warned that DJI was "likely providing U.S. critical infrastructure and law enforcement data to [the] Chinese government."

Lack of Public Evidence

Despite repeated claims about DJI and other drone manufacturers posing a grave risk to Americans, the government has not provided specific proof.

"The US government has never provided specific public evidence that foreign drones pose a national security threat to begin with, or why other products like cameras should be caught up in that ban," Hollister added.

DJI's Response

For its part, DJI claims that an independent security audit of its products found "no evidence of data transmission outside the United States" and "no backdoors or other vulnerabilities that could be exploited for unauthorized data access."