No thanks, not appropriate here to go any further than just my opinion. Meet me over in the Freedom forum and we can discuss it thoroughly if you wish.
"There is no DJI ban." Let's call it a restriction.
- Thread starter mavic3usa
- Start date
Prospect62
Member
I disagree and would ask you to cite your statement. Several corporations based in foreign nations have litigated under Constitutional provisions before various U.S. courts. I'd use any number of Japanese auto-makers as examples. They've been litigating in U.S. courts for decades and benefitting from Constitutional protections.
The Supreme court has held that non-citizens have the right to due process, a finding I personally disagree with but hey...it is what it is.
They have also held that Corporations can be viewed in the same was as people, or individuals, as it applies to certain constitutional protections such as due process (and excluding such provisions as 5th Amendment protections).
I feel that, if the 23rd of December comes and goes without this "review" and then the FCC takes it upon themselves to put DJI on the "covered list" without allowing DJI to defend itself on the record even one time, DJI would not only have a due process argument but also would be able to argue that they were denied rights by vague legislation. I guess the question is whether it's worth it to DJI to fight it. It has to be.
My personal opinion is that the 23rd of December will come and go, absolutely nothing will happen and we will never hear about this again.
Unless Skydio stirs the pot.
No discussion is needed. If you're going to spread rumor and fear by claiming that confiscations have happened, just list a few cases where the US government has confiscated a popular consumer product. Drone confiscation is no more a threat than firearm confiscation.
Prospect62
Member
Yeah no matter how this shakes out I don't see "confiscation" as a possibility in any reality. Anyone who thinks so should log off, go touch grass and take a deep breath.
What I should have said is that no where in the Constitution or it's Amendments does it state that a foreign company has the right to conduct business in the US. As far as I know, most of the cases that you are citing involve either the foreign company breaking a law (contract, patent, tax avoidance, stealing, safety, etc.) or are regulatory based (FDA, FAA, NTSB, etc.). In other words, those cases are related to the US accusing a foreign company of violating US or International law and then taking them to court to litigate. These have nothing to do with the foreign entities' Constitutional Rights to conduct business in the US. The US government has already banned several Chinese companies without any "due process". For example, companies associated with the UFLPA can no longer sell to the US. In fact, DJI has also been accused of this and that has been affecting their ability to import products into the US.
Now with that being said, there may be some exceptions where as an example, a foreign entity owns considerable US based assets and a Constitutional Right to conduct business may be challenged in court. If these exist, they would be rare and complicated situations. In DJI's case, the law in question was passed through Congress and signed by the President so it's very clear what the law's intent is.
I hope you are correct on what happens but I have my doubts. The FCC has made their intentions very clear and I am anticipating that they will make moves in 2026. I am hoping for the best but planning for the worst.
Last edited:
I hope it is correct as well and I wish this would all go away. Someone suggested the Dec 23 deadline will just come and go and nothing will be done (except no new FCC approvals)....that's not sustainable. The drone community cannot work under those conditions. It's not ideal if "nothing ever comes of this and everything remains the same as is." The entire process is crippled from the way we buy and sell drones, get service and repair, dates and availablitiy, etc. The situation has made 2025 pretty miserable and the last thing we need is for the same thing to keep going in 2026 with this slow death spiral. I don't mind buying from South Korea but I do mind paying higher than MSRP and I would prefer not to do business in the shadows of the illegal tariffs. Anyone who thinks it's ok to just put DJI on the covered list and then do nothing from there....how about putting things back the way they were in 2022 or 2012?
DroneSense is currently organizing a nationwide First Responder campaign asking them to join in contacting their U.S. Representative and Senators to request a one-year extension of the Section 1709 audit deadline in the FY2026 NDAA. This extension is essential to allow a proper, evidence-based review rather than an automatic ban triggered by government inaction. Thousands of First Responder agencies and pilots will be submitting a petition. I don't think that any of them are concerned about retaliation.Strictly my opinion follows. Earlier this year the government hinted at anyone who opposed these actions against DJI should be investigated for possibly collaborating with China. You can only imagine what this current administration might do to those who push back even in the slightest especially if you try to take legal action. Even writing to your congressperson, those letters could be obtain and added to your "file."
Consequently, it's too risky to put your name on any legal document accusing the government of taking unfair action against a foreign country not only because the executive branch is out of control with retaliation but also because the judicial branch can't and won't help you. At a minimum, if you sign onto a class action lawsuit, you'll find you and your family member's name on a government watch list for potentially supporting, aiding, and proving material support to a foreign adversary and at worse acting as a foreign agent....and so on. Next time you try to board a plane, you might find yourself flagged on the No Fly List or when you attempt to buy certain items No Fly No Buy. Need a government loan, stopped at a traffic stop with any amount of currency in your car, day trip to Canada or Mexico....? And it spreads from there; no thank you.
I think you hit it right on the head. Write to you representative and let them know how you are adversely affected by the decision. That's a little bit different than writing a support letter to the government claiming they don't have any evidence that China is spying on the US thru drones and their assumptions are baseless. There's a right way and a wrong way to write. I never said don't write, I said don't put your name on something you're not willing to live with especially if you might provide aid and confront to what the government considers to be the enemy (yeah I know that's ludicrous but is it?) What are you going to do if DJI caves in next spring and admits their software and drones actually do have a few problems, the US was right all along, and they'll work on fixing it and get back into the game by this time next year? China will throw you under the bus to take advantage of our government (easy) and there you are left hanging holding your.... Are you going to get your letter back claiming your government is stupid for insisting DJI is spying with no evidence?
Write your letter asking for an extension so we *all* know the real truth. My suggestion is don't write a letter claiming the government is stupid, have no evidence, you're just trying to help Skydio and Trump Jr., you don't understand technology, people are going to die, and the China actually loves us not hate us. Don't mention China and you'll be fine. I said you would be put on a list and you will. Depends on who is in office but personally I don't want to be on that list in today's climate; you're opening yourself up to all kinds of nonsense and shenanigans in the future. If you don't believe me, ask Sen Kelly. What are you going to do when talks break down with China, the orange guy is angry because he looks bad and he stops all imports from China immediately and he starts railing on China treating us unfairly and ripping us off...and you have a letter with your name on it praising them for their superior technology you can't live without. You make the call for yourself but it's not going to be me right now, I don't want to be caught up in the ridiculous b.s. Instead......
But I shouldn't have to explain this, you don't need to take my word for it. Just go here and follow the reasonable and wise instructions provided to everyone by a group dedicated to look out for and advocate for the drone community; this is what I would do:
Take Action – Drone Advocacy Alliance
droneadvocacyalliance.com
Similar threads
