According to ZDNet, the Federal Communications Commission has officially added DJI and other foreign drone makers to its Covered List of national security threats as of December 23, 2025. This action stems from a failed mandate in the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act that required an audit which was never even started. The immediate result is that no new DJI drones, action cameras, gimbals, or microphones can receive FCC approval, though existing stock can still be sold. DJI’s head of global policy, Adam Welsh, claims the company’s products support roughly 460,000 American jobs and $116 billion in economic activity. The US government could still move to revoke certifications for products already on shelves, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Your Drone Isn’t Grounded Yet
Okay, take a breath. If you own a DJI drone right now, it’s not going to turn into a brick today. The ban, for the moment, is on *new* product approvals. So that Mavic 3 you’ve been flying for two years? It should still work. The real panic is about what comes next. The government has left the door wide open to go after existing products, which would mean pulling them from store shelves entirely. That’s a huge, looming “what if” that creates incredible uncertainty for everyone from hobbyists to major film studios.
The Real Crisis: Warranties And Parts
Here’s the thing that should worry every drone owner: service and repairs. Drones crash. Motors fail. Gimbals glitch. DJI has built a reputation on pretty solid warranty support, but that whole system is now under threat. ZDNet notes there are already reports of warranty replacement units getting stuck in customs. If the FCC’s move chokes off the supply of official parts, what happens when you need a new arm or a main board? You’re looking at a very expensive paperweight. This is where the rubber meets the road, and it could make owning any DJI product a serious liability overnight.
Is This About Security Or Politics?
Let’s be skeptical for a second. The government’s stated reason is national security, but they’ve provided zero public evidence of any actual risk from DJI drones. Other allied nations aren’t taking this drastic step. It feels a lot more like the continued tech cold war with China, where Huawei got hit first and now it’s DJI’s turn. And look at who’s waiting in the wings: companies like Unusual Machines, which notably brought on Donald Trump Jr. as an adviser. That’s not exactly a subtle signal about the political and protectionist currents driving this. The audit was a legislative checkbox that everyone ignored until the deadline passed—now it’s being used as a blunt instrument.
A Gaping Hole With No Fill-In Sight
So what’s the alternative? Basically, there isn’t one. DJI isn’t just ahead; it’s in a different league. For reliable, capable consumer and commercial drones, no US or other foreign company is even close. This ban doesn’t create a competitor; it just creates a vacuum. Industries that depend on this tech—agriculture, surveying, filmmaking, emergency services—are now staring at a future where they can’t refresh or expand their fleets with the best tools. For businesses that rely on robust, integrated hardware, this kind of supply chain shock is a nightmare. It’s a stark reminder of how fragile specialization can be, much like how critical industries from manufacturing to logistics depend on reliable, top-tier hardware providers, such as IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs, to keep operations running without disruptive bans or geopolitical interference.
The bottom line? This is a mess. It’s bad for innovation, terrible for jobs, and creates a cloud of doubt over a huge slice of the tech economy. Your drone still flies today, but the horizon just got very, very foggy.
