After the ban

[bmwbob]

There's a possibility that buying a DJI drone from another country after the ban that in the USA you might not be able to activate it or get GPS connection!

 

[GadgetGuy]

There's a possibility that buying a DJI drone from another country after the ban that in the USA you might not be able to activate it or get GPS connection!

The U.S. can't prevent internet activation, and only DJI can geofence their drones. No reason for DJI to cripple drones acquired elsewhere by the owner.

 

[mavic3usa]

There's a possibility that buying a DJI drone from another country after the ban that in the USA you might not be able to activate it or get GPS connection!

I am hoping you can use a VPN and preserve your ability to activate a DJI drone regardless of your geographic location. Otherwise, just take your equipment to Canada or Mexico and activate it there.

 

[Meta4]

There's a possibility that buying a DJI drone from another country after the ban that in the USA you might not be able to activate it or get GPS connection!

Where you are makes no difference to activation of the drone.
And any GPS receiver works anywhere in the world ... that's why the first word in GPS is GLOBAL.

 

[anotherlab]

I am hoping you can use a VPN and preserve your ability to activate a DJI drone regardless of your geographic location. Otherwise, just take your equipment to Canada or Mexico and activate it there.

That won't be needed.

 

[mavic3usa]

That won't be needed.

I hope not. I have 5 unactivated DJI drones.

 

[FLDave]

There's a possibility that buying a DJI drone from another country after the ban that in the USA you might not be able to activate it or get GPS connection!

Perhaps you could be specific about what you believe "the ban" to be. It would be helpful to understand your view of "the ban" to know how to respond to after "the ban".

 

[Cafguy]

To brick every DJI Drone in the U.S. would require DJI to cooperate with the U.S. Government....I don't see that happening.

 

[AMann]

The U.S. can't prevent internet activation, and only DJI can geofence their drones. No reason for DJI to cripple drones acquired elsewhere by the owner.

It’s not DJI that will cut off access to updates and activations in the U.S., it will be our government that can do it. For example, our government threatened to ban internet access to TicToc in the U.S. until the company relented to our demands.

So the great wall of U.S. does exist!

 

[anotherlab]

It’s not DJI that will cut off access to updates and activations in the U.S., it will be our government that can do it. For example, our government threatened to ban internet access to TicToc in the U.S. until the company relented to our demands.

So the great wall of U.S. does exist!

Updates and activations are two different things and are handled differently. App updates are handled through the Apple App Store for iOS and direct downloads for Android. The US Government would have to force Apple to region-lock DJI's apps. They would need to update the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," which was signed last year, to target TikTok. That law singles out social media apps, but could be updated to include DJI's apps.

Android updates are handled via a direct download, and DJI could change that URL easily.

Activations are done through an HTTPS web service. DJI can also move that around.

If DJI is so inclined, they force the government to play whack-a-mole with the URLs for Android. Users on iOS would be out of luck, but all you need is a cheap Android tablet to install DJI's apps.

 

[mavic3usa]

Updates and activations are two different things and are handled differently. App updates are handled through the Apple App Store for iOS and direct downloads for Android. The US Government would have to force Apple to region-lock DJI's apps. They would need to update the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," which was signed last year, to target TikTok. That law singles out social media apps, but could be updated to include DJI's apps.

Android updates are handled via a direct download, and DJI could change that URL easily.

Activations are done through an HTTPS web service. DJI can also move that around.

If DJI is so inclined, they force the government to play whack-a-mole with the URLs for Android. Users on iOS would be out of luck, but all you need is a cheap Android tablet to install DJI's apps.

Understood but a gentle reminder that an Executive Order can fix all of this literally overnight. I know people want to fall back to normal thinking and rely on the sanctity (my corrector keeps trying to change this word to "sanity" which maybe that works, too) of a "process" but I think it's time we start to think outside the box. I would even go so far as say an Executive Order requiring Apple/Google to [do something] is not off the table (if your comment was focused on gaining US private companies compliance). These days when people make comments, rightfully so their meaning often includes speculation but for good reason.

All of this comes in three stages: 2025: disbelief and caught off guard; 2026: downright bizarre and "this is getting tiring"; 2027: anger, fed up, time to do something about this.

 

[anotherlab]

Understood but a gentle reminder that an Executive Order can fix all of this literally overnight. I know people want to fall back to normal thinking and rely on the sanctity (my corrector keeps trying to change this word to "sanity" which maybe that works, too) of a "process" but I think it's time we start to think outside the box. I would even go so far as say an Executive Order requiring Apple/Google to [do something] is not off the table (if your comment was focused on gaining US private companies compliance). These days when people make comments, rightfully so their meaning often includes speculation but for good reason.

All of this comes in three stages: 2025: disbelief and caught off guard; 2026: downright bizarre and "this is getting tiring"; 2027: anger, fed up, time to do something about this.

It could be fixed with an EO, and with the republicans in both houses terrified of the president, updated laws could also be done.

 

[mavic3usa]

Sean has a good video this week about the US "ban" including important footage from the FCC meeting:

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