US bans all new foreign drones over national security and espionage fears
Kyiv • UNN
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned the sale of new foreign drones, citing national security risks. The decision, aimed at Chinese manufacturer DJI, does not affect drones already deployed in the US.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday blacklisted all new foreign-made drones and components over fears the equipment poses an "unacceptable risk" to national security, a trap for Chinese drone maker DJI after long-standing concerns that the technology gives Beijing a foothold in critical US infrastructure, UNN reports with reference to Politico.
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The technology was added to the commission's "restricted list," which prohibits DJI and other foreign drone manufacturers from obtaining FCC approval to sell new drone models for import or sale in the US. In a statement on Monday, the agency said the move would "reduce the risk of direct [drone] attacks and disruptions, unauthorized surveillance, sensitive data leaks, and other [drone] threats to the homeland."
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said that while drones offer the potential to enhance public safety and the US's position in global innovation, "criminals, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors have increased their use of these technologies as weapons, creating new and serious threats to our homeland."
The decision comes as Chinese hawks in the US Congress intensify warnings about the security risks of drones made by DJI, which accounts for more than 90% of the global market. But efforts to tighten controls on Capitol Hill have met with some resistance due to the potential impact of restricting drone use on American businesses and law enforcement. A wide range of sectors, including construction, energy, agricultural, and mining companies, as well as local police and fire departments across the country, use DJI-made drones, the publication writes.
But this rule will not ban the thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles already deployed in the US. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Monday that the decision "does not affect drones or drone components currently sold in the United States," according to the agency, meaning that drones previously authorized by the FCC can still be used. An FCC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on potential plans to retroactively ban foreign-made drones or components.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the US, said Beijing "strongly opposes the US's overstretching of the concept of national security, which violates and restricts normal economic and trade exchanges, and undermines the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains."
A DJI spokesperson said the firm was "disappointed" by the FCC's move. "While DJI was not singled out, no information has been released about what information the executive branch used to make its decision," the spokesperson said.