The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) spending bill was recently released and it gives DJI a one-year grace period before it becomes banned in the US, The Verge reported. It is expected that DJI and rival Autel may be banned by the end of 2024 due to the provision of the Countering CCP Drones Act. However, the bill gives DJI an additional year to prove to an “appropriate national security agency” that its products do not pose a risk to US national security.

Failing that, the bill allows the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to put DJI drones on its covered list for 2026, meaning retailers will no longer be able to import them. It also means that products (including drones and cameras like the Osmo Pocket 3) are prohibited from connecting to US networks, and their internal radios are no longer authorized by the FCC. That technically prohibits the use of DJI products that consumers already own, although the US is unlikely to prevent consumers from doing so.

In response to this Blog viewDJI said it was “good news” that the ban was not included in this year’s budget. However, it pointed out that “the drones produced in China are singled out for inspection and the legislation does not designate a specific agency to carry out the necessary study.” The latter point could cause harm to the company “simply because no agency has been chosen to do the work of studying our product,” it wrote.

The main reason DJI is still alive is the support of drone enthusiasts and content creators, along with law enforcement and search and rescue organizations. “If a bill like this is fully passed and could ban the use of drones in China for public safety, it will be a disaster for the public safety drone industry,” SAYS Law Enforcement Drone Association spokesman Brendan Karr in a letter to Congress.

However, US representatives believe that this is a risk. “DJI’s drones pose a national security threat to TikTok, but it has wings. This Chinese-controlled company will not be allowed to continue operating in the US,” SAYS Republican Representative Elise Stefanik. “These Chinese-made drones allow the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, to access data in a backdoor manner and ultimately survey Americans,” added Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi.