Congress seems to be inching closer to banning DJI Drones

[BobaFut]

Someone I was speaking to about this topic, asked me: right now the drones are not transmitting any data, that has been proven without a doubt, but what's stopping them from putting out a firmware update and then have drones transmit data back to China like Congress is so afraid of? I don't want to sound like an anti droner but this sounds like a very valid point.

Transmit what data, exactly? I mean, a typical cell phone transmits much more sensitive personal data and no one (well, hardly anyone) bats an eye about that. And federal, state, and local employees are going to be much less careless about their phones and phones are much more ubiquitous. I just don't know what this "data" is that the Chinese are collecting from drones use by, say, the Ohio Department of Transportation or whatever that would be of any use to them (not even mentioning the amount of data to cull through). "Lots of potholes in Toledo, time to take Taiwan!" Give me a break.

 

[wqb3]

China also owns $860 BILLION in US debt. That's $2500 per person. If Congress is serious about this imagined threat and "state ownership"it would stop selling them our future prosperity. Unfortunately fear = votes which is what this is really all about.

 

[Cybernaut]

Okay, I read through this entire thread, plus located some articles on this topic. I'm still missing something.

Is there a particular reason why Congress is targeting DJI or is this just typical political paranoia? Was DJI caught doing something? Or is this the current version of Minority Report?

DJI might get banned next in the US

First TikTok, then DJI?

www.theverge.com

Bill to effectively ban DJI drones from US skies clears Congress committee hearing

A House bill to effectively ban DJI drones from US operation by denying them access to FCC communication assets advances in Congress

dronedj.com

It appears that even if a DJI firmware or software update was malicious, what information would they gain? It's not like people are flying drones over secret military installations. The worst they could do is tap into phones with a software update. There are already lots of spyware apps doing that.

 

[mavic3usa]

Okay, I read through this entire thread, plus located some articles on this topic. I'm still missing something.

Is there a particular reason why Congress is targeting DJI or is this just typical political paranoia? Was DJI caught doing something? Or is this the current version of Minority Report?

DJI might get banned next in the US

First TikTok, then DJI?

www.theverge.com

Bill to effectively ban DJI drones from US skies clears Congress committee hearing

A House bill to effectively ban DJI drones from US operation by denying them access to FCC communication assets advances in Congress

dronedj.com

It appears that even if a DJI firmware or software update was malicious, what information would they gain? It's not like people are flying drones over secret military installations. The worst they could do is tap into phones with a software update. There are already lots of spyware apps doing that.

Much of the information behind this and supporting this cannot be shared openly with the American public leaving us to guess and speculate and for others to say if you don't tell us then we don't believe it. Not the way national security should work but I don't hate you demanding to seeing the proof no matter how classified it really is.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Is there a particular reason why Congress is targeting DJI or is this just typical political paranoia?

Skydio. Seriously.

Sleezebags...

 

[mavic3usa]

...and there you have it.

Lawmakers demand DOJ probe into efforts by DJI to prevent US drone ban, price rise

US lawmakers want to investigate the Drone Advocacy Alliance for urging drone users to oppose the proposed DJI ban and price increase.

dronedj.com

 

[Cafguy]

"DJI is directly facilitating genocidal crimes, arming the Chinese military, and advancing the strategic objectives of the CCP, an adversary that threatens US national security,”
WOW I was not aware of how totally ignorant of common sense and how little someone has to actually KNOW about a subject to be able to become a lawmaker.
All this time I simply Assumed.......

 

[AZDave]

China also owns $860 BILLION in US debt. That's $2500 per person. If Congress is serious about this imagined threat and "state ownership"it would stop selling them our future prosperity. Unfortunately fear = votes which is what this is really all about.

LOL. China represents a grand total of 2.5% of the U.S. debt, which is literally peanuts in the grand scheme of things. Roughly 80% of U.S. debt is held by our own citizens, and much of the rest represents intragovernment obligations. $34 trillion in debt is indeed a problem, but China isn't the cause of it that the ill informed try to make it.

 

[Droning on and on...]

WOW I was not aware of how totally ignorant of common sense and how little someone has to actually KNOW about a subject to be able to become a lawmaker.
All this time I simply Assumed.......

@Cafguy needs to change his password and stop that high school student from hijacking his account, given this understanding of Congresscritters...

 

[Cybernaut]

Here is the latest info. The current proposal intends to tax Chinese drones to death, then ban them in 5 years.

 

[Droning on and on...]

LOL. China represents a grand total of 2.5% of the U.S. debt, which is literally peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

You might hold off on some of that laughter my friend. It's not the share of our overall debt that's a threat. Rather, it's the $650b that must be refinanced every month, and the impact China could have on the cost to refinance it that could be impacted by China dumping treasures, raising the interest rates we have to offer.

This is just to refinance current debt that is maturing. There is also new debt issued as well, so China can time sale of large amounts when we've announced an auction, driving up our borrowing cost.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Here is the latest info. The current proposal intends to tax Chinese drones to death, then ban them in 5 years.

This may be an unpopular position, and I'm a big DJI fanboy too, but I wouldn't object to a reasonable tariff to be used to subsidize the development of a competitive drone industry in the US.

sUAV technology and products are becoming a strategic National Security concern not from the standpoint of spying, but rather as a domestic capability. The Russia/Ukraine war is showing this in spades.

Drones are becoming like other hi-tech weapons, and it's foolish to depend on another country for them, especially a putative adversary.

Who here remembers Sematech in the 90s, and the Japanese "threat" to IC design and production? Same idea.

 

[chadCO]

Start calling the congress clowns, make 10 calls to the epic failures a day, start emailing them 100 times a day, make them know they will unemployed if they continue their clownshow.

 

[chadCO]

I would like to know that, too, I have already contacted my congressman multiple times and I have received no feedback. I have also signed several online drone petitions and I have talked with others in my area extensively about the issue and how it will impact them even though they don't fly drones. Until they lose services that are provided by drones, they won't care.

Call them 10 times a day, get all your friends to call them 10 times a day.

 

[BlueHeeler]

Does anybody know the total value in US Dollars of DJI Drones that are in the hands of US Citizens right now, has it been stated anywhere in the Drone Industry ?

 

[anotherlab]

Call them 10 times a day, get all your friends to call them 10 times a day.

This bill is going to pass the House of Representatives. It's a presidential election year, they are all for re-election, and none of them wants to be seen as being soft on China.

Contact both senators who represent your state. Only 1/3 of them are up for re-election, it would be easier for them to vote no when that bill comes to the Senate.

 

[chadCO]

Does anybody know the total value in US Dollars of DJI Drones that are in the hands of US Citizens right now, has it been stated anywhere in the Drone Industry ?

It can be estimated that approximately 80% of the registered drones are DJI drones.

• FAA Total Registered Drones: 790,918
• Estimated DJI Drones: 790,918×0.80≈632,734790,918×0.80≈632,734

Thus, there are approximately 632,734 DJI drones flying in the USA.
Even at a conservative 1000 per drone comes to 632 million worth.

 

[anotherlab]

Does anybody know the total value in US Dollars of DJI Drones that are in the hands of US Citizens right now, has it been stated anywhere in the Drone Industry ?

Are you counting total over the years? Or do you mean by what is currently being flown? By most accounts, in the last few years DJI has 70% of the global sales for drones.

First responders are going to be hit harder financially than consumers. A police force is going to be using something like a Matrice 30T. That drone and associated accessories and training is going to cost a lot more than a Mavic.

 

[BlueHeeler]

Are you counting total over the years? Or do you mean by what is currently being flown? By most accounts, in the last few years DJI has 70% of the global sales for drones.

First responders are going to be hit harder financially than consumers. A police force is going to be using something like a Matrice 30T. That drone and associated accessories and training is going to cost a lot more than a Mavic.

I would say for all time that are still being used because there's obviously millions of dollars worth of equipment and accessories they're willing to turn into paper weights, let alone affecting livelihoods across the country.

 

[anotherlab]

I would say for all time that are still being used because there's obviously millions of dollars worth of equipment and accessories they're willing to turn into paper weights, let alone affecting livelihoods across the country.

Going by what DJI posted, grounding all DJI drones would impact the US drone ecosystem by $116 billion. Take it with a grain of salt, but it would have a significant effect at even half or a quarter of that value.