ByteDance, to which we owe TikTok, is not the only Chinese company in the crosshairs of the US government. According to Wall Street Journaldrone manufacturer DJI could be banned from sale and flight in the United States.
Legislation threatens DJI’s future
If DJI attracts the wrath of the United States, it is following a text discussed in Congress. According to Elise Stefanik, a Republican representative and one of the authors of this law, “DJI represents a significant risk to the security of our country, and it is time that drones from Communist China are banned from our territory”. If adopted, the company’s drones could no longer be marketed in the United States and those in circulation would remain grounded.
The situation is all the more complex for DJI as its drones are very popular in the United States. As explained by Wall Street Journal, many individuals use its models, as do the authorities. However, Washington considers that they represent a danger because they come from China, a country with which relations are tense.
According to US government agencies, DJI drones collect data about “critical infrastructure” of the country on behalf of the Chinese government. Claims that the company denies.
DJI responds to accusations
In an article aimed at responding to the accusations, DJI mentions devices “designed and thought for the common good”. According to the drone manufacturer, this law would contain “false and unfounded accusations about our operations” and would be “xenophobic”. The goal is, according to DJI, to benefit American companies by eliminating competition.
Facing headwinds, DJI could lose access to one of its largest markets and be blacklisted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This would not be the first time that the company has been sanctioned across the Atlantic: American companies have been prohibited from transmitting their technologies to DJI since 2020. The United States Treasury Department has also accused the company of participating in surveillance of the Uighur minority with its drones.