The Chinese drone manufacturer DJI expressed its disappointment over the decision by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include foreign-made drones in its so-called “Covered List,” a measure that blocks new authorizations and, in practice, prevents their import and sale in the country.
The covered list, updated on Monday, identifies communications equipment and services that Washington considers an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security or the security of the American people, the FCC itself explained.
According to the regulatory body, inclusion in the list means that new foreign drone models and their critical components will not be able to obtain official authorization, which amounts to a commercial ban in the U.S. market.
In a statement, DJI clarified that while the company was not mentioned directly, no information was shared about the data used by the U.S. Executive Branch. The company stated that its products are among the safest and most reliable on the market and recalled that they have been evaluated for years by U.S. government agencies and independent audits.
Questioning and accusations of protectionism DJI rejected concerns about data security, stating that they are not based on concrete evidence and reflect a logic of protectionism, incompatible with the principles of an open market.
This measure is part of a defense law passed by the U.S. Congress a year ago, which warned of supposed national security risks associated with drones of Chinese origin.
