Chinese drone maker DJI has blasted a bill that would ban sales of its products in the US as “baseless allegations and xenophobic fear”, as it reiterated its commitment to user data security.
The US House of Representatives passed the annual National Defense Authorisation Act on Friday, which included a Countering CCP Drones Act that could limit future sales of DJI drones in the country.
The bill is advancing to the Senate for amendments and final approval before it goes to the desk of US President Joe Biden, who would need to sign it into law.
“The proposed bill sets a dangerous precedent for allowing baseless allegations and xenophobic fears to drive public policy decisions that could negatively impact public safety and the US economy,” a DJI representative said in a statement on Tuesday.
The drone bill, introduced by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik last year, seeks to limit the US operations of DJI by adding it to the Federal Communication Commission’s Covered List, which would bar the company’s drones from using the communications infrastructure in the country.
Calling DJI a threat to national security, the bill said it aims to protect American users’ data and preserve America’s supply chain.
DJI refuted the claims and reiterated its protection of user data. “Since 2017, our data security practices have been validated by multiple US federal agencies as well as independent private sector firms,” the company said.
“DJI gives drone users total control over the data they collect and generate.”
The looming ban adds to the challenges DJI faces in one of its biggest markets, after the US Commerce Department imposed export restrictions on the company in 2020, accusing it of being complicit in the oppression of China’s Uygur minority and aiding the Chinese military.
In 2019, the US Congress also banned the Pentagon from buying or using drones and components manufactured in China.
China is the world’s leading supplier of drones. The country has about 15,000 companies in the industry, of which 1,300 are based in Shenzhen, with a combined annual output valued at 16 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion), according to data from the Shenzhen Drone Association.
