According to an Engadget broadcast on Tuesday (23/12), the United States Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) has added foreign-made drones and their critical components to the agency's Covered List , so that these items are prohibited from being imported into the United States.
According to an FCC public notice, several national security agencies have determined that unmanned aircraft systems and their critical components manufactured in foreign countries pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.
Unmanned aircraft systems and their critical components, according to the FCC, must be manufactured in the United States.
The FCC stated that unmanned aircraft systems have the potential to be military or paramilitary sensors and weapons.
Unmanned aircraft systems and their critical components, including data transmission devices, communication systems, flight controllers, ground control stations, controllers, navigation systems, batteries, smart batteries, and motors manufactured in foreign countries are considered to enable persistent surveillance, data exfiltration, and destructive operations within the United States.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on platform X clarified that the ban on the sale of foreign-made drones does not affect older drones.
The new rules only apply to upcoming drone models. Citizens can continue to use the devices they have already purchased, and retailers can continue to sell models already approved by the agency.
Carr also said that the War Department or the Department of Homeland Security could authorize certain new models, certain classes of drones, or certain components to be sold in the United States.
One of the companies that will be affected by the United States' new policy on drone imports is Chinese company DJI, which expressed disappointment with the agency's decision.
A DJI spokesperson stated that DJI products are among the safest and most secure on the market.
According to him, "concerns about DJI's data security are not based on evidence and instead reflect protectionism, contrary to the principles of open markets."
