UNITED STATES – Sales of DJI drones, a product that’s become near synonymous with action sports around the world, may soon come to an end in the United States, with a proposed ban passing the U.S. House late last week. The Countering CCP Drones Act, buried in the National Defense Authorization Act, is moving on to the Senate. If it’s passed there, it will make its way to the President’s desk.
DJI, or Da-Jiang Innovations (translates to Great Frontier Innovations) released their response to the House’s vote on social media, explaining how the ban process will play out through the United States government, and how those who support the company can get involved.
“The Senate will consider its version of the bill. If it proceeds, the House and Senate will then work to negotiate the differences between the two versions of the bill, resulting in a final version that will be signed into law.
Thank you for sharing your stories and voicing how the ban on DJI products in the U.S. would impact you. We Remain committed to our customers and will continue our efforts to maintain your access to our reliable, safe, and secure drones.“
DJI encouraged those who are against the bill to contact Senators and Representatives, opposing any legislation that would restrict “safe and responsible use of your drones.” They also pushed supporters towards to the Drone Advocacy Alliance, who encourages and simplifies the process of calling and emailing Senators and Representatives.
Multiple times throughout the response, DJI mentions the safety and security behind the use of their drones. The Countering CCP Drones Act, introduced by New York Republican Representative Elise Stefanik, was supposedly partially created due to Chinese state-owned businesses’ 6% hold in DJI’s stock, which some lawmakers believe leads to backdoors in the products for the Chinese Government. Additionally, some believe the success of DJI just strengthens the Chinese economy.
