As an American drone pilot, I was devastated when, in December 2025, the government effectively banned not only popular brand DJI but all “foreign-made drones.” Since then, new drones – as well as cameras and accessories from DJI – have not received the FCC approval to launch in the US.
The US drone ban has long had me wondering if the government understands just how devastating the change is to aerial creators – not to mention the first responders, farmers, and businesses relying on the technology. American drone pilots still have access to drones registered prior to the FCC ban, but the latest drone technology is quickly becoming inaccessible to US users.
While there are American drone brands, none that I’ve found offer consumer drones – just expensive drones for Hollywood-level films, industrial drones, and military drones. That means American drone tech has been effectively placed on an indefinite pause until an American drone company is able to develop and launch a consumer drone – a process that will likely take years.
But now through May 11, the FCC is seeking comments from the public. Drone pilots, first responders, business owners, and any member of the public affected by the ban are invited to share comments on how the restrictions impact the community.
The public input could impact the FCC drone ban moving forward, as DJI has filed an appeal to its inclusion on the FCC Covered List. In an email from a company representative, DJI told me, “We encourage all US-based drone users – from public safety agencies and small businesses to hobbyists – to share their experience on how DJI drones impact their work, business, community, and daily life.”
The Drone Advocacy Alliance has a set of instructions that simplifies the federal forms. For a simple comment, users can navigate to the page, use Proceedings Number 26-22, and the name “In the Matter of SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.” Public commenters then fill in the details and write their comments.
The deadline for submission is May 11, so the public comments close in a matter of days.
As a drone pilot and tech journalist in the camera space, I think that one of the reasons the foreign-made drone ban is so devastating is that the current US-based companies do not offer consumer-grade models. The non-DJI consumer drones are also built outside of the US.
Skydio, which recently announced a US expansion, does not sell drones made for photography and videography but rather for industrial use, first responders, and the military. Skydio stopped building consumer drones in 2023.
Launching American-made consumer drones will not happen overnight. Skydio’s expansion, for example, is expected to take five years, and the company has not indicated if that growth will even include a consumer drone.
Creating a drone is a time-consuming and complicated process, and newer companies in the category are at a disadvantage. For example, the US-based action camera giant GoPro once launched a drone called the Karma. The quadcopter was recalled due to a battery door failure that had drones falling out of the sky, and GoPro left the drone market shortly after.
Perhaps the reason that the FCC foreign-made drone ban hurt the most, however, is that the government-mandated security review of DJI never actually happened, to my knowledge, perhaps because the law never assigned an agency to the task.
DJI has not only pointed to previous security audits, but has repeatedly stressed that flight logs are never stored on DJI’s servers. DJI drones also support using third-party apps to fly, including some apps made by American companies.
DJI's other products have also – unfairly, in my opinion – fallen under the ban. While the FCC ban includes all foreign-made drones, it also lists all DJI products, not just their drones. That prevents tech like the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 as well as DJI's future action cameras, gimbals, mics, and other tech from entering the US.
Of course, one of the reasons behind the ban isn’t tied to a specific company at all, but worry over interruptions in the supply chain. I understand the need for a US-based supply chain – after all, in retaliation for tariffs, China once blocked American drone maker Skydio from getting any batteries for its drones.
But such an immediate and overarching drone ban is devastating for every American using drone technology, from aerial artists like myself to first responders and business owners.
As a drone pilot and tech journalist, I’m strongly urging the FCC and US government to restore the public’s access to the latest drone technology. Complete a full and fair audit to determine if non-US drone companies are a security risk.
If such an audit determines a security threat, propose an interim plan with the aid of drone users to avoid freezing drone technology that many small businesses, journalists, photographers, videographers, farmers, and others rely on.
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