The Federal Communications Commission said on Monday it is adding China’s DJI, Autel and all foreign-made drones and components to a list of companies determined to pose unacceptable risks to US national security and will bar approvals of new types of drones for import or sale in the United States.
The move is a significant escalation in Washington’s battles to crack down on Chinese drones in recent years. In September, the Commerce Department said it plans to issue rules to restrict Chinese drone imports.
The FCC designation does not prohibit the import, sale or use of any existing device models the telecoms regulator previously authorised, and does not impact any previously bought drones, the FCC said. It added that consumers can continue to use any drones they previously bought legally.
The FCC said it received the results of a White House-convened, executive-branch inter-agency review of the risks of foreign drones on Sunday, which found that imported drones and components pose security risks “given the threats from unauthorised surveillance, sensitive data exfiltration, supply chain vulnerabilities, and other potential threats to the homeland”.
The review said the Pentagon could make future determinations that specific drones or classes of drone do not pose risks and remove them from the restrictions.
