Update: House Passes Bill to Ban future DJI Drones in the US

Legislative Update

On June 18, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes the “Countering CCP Drones Act.” This bill aims to ban DJI drones by prohibiting their use of FCC communication infrastructure. The legislation now moves to the Senate for further review and a vote, where heavy resistance is expected from a large group of legitimately aggravated drone advocates, both commercial and consumer who rely on DJI products to perform routine and critical infrastructure work. The outcome of this vote will then be placed on the desk of the President, to be signed into law.

What does this mean for DJI users in the US?

If the Senate passes the bill and it is signed into law by the President, all future sales of DJI drones in the US will be banned. However, this bill shouldn’t impact existing drones that have already received FCC approval.

What will happen during the Senate review?

For now, the proposed legislation has successfully cleared the House but still faces the hurdle of Senate approval and reconciliation. The Senate must first draft its own version of the NDAA and reconcile any differences with the House’s version. This process can span several weeks or even months, potentially leading to significant changes in the final bill compared to its initial drafts.

This underscores the point that a complete ban on DJI drones in the US is not imminent and still faces several stages before it could become law. There remains a considerable journey ahead before any definitive actions are taken.

Why Drone Harmony is essential now

In light of these legislative developments, the importance of geopolitically neutral and secure data handling platforms like Drone Harmony cannot be overstated. Here’s why:

• Geopolitical Neutrality: Drone Harmony operates independently of drone hardware manufacturers, ensuring that your operations are not affected by geopolitical tensions or legislative changes targeting specific companies.
• Secure Data Handling: Our platform offers robust data security with private or local server options, giving you control over your data and ensuring compliance with various regulatory requirements.
• Agile security offering: We can perform penetration tests and adjust security measures to meet specific IT and data security needs.

Next Steps

As the Senate prepares to review the bill, staying informed and proactive is crucial. We will continue to monitor this situation and provide reliable and accurate updates as they become available. Please follow our Linkedin page to receive these updates when they are ready.