HARRISBURG, PA – On August 7, Albert Sarvis, Associate Professor of Geospatial Technology at Harrisburg University (HU), sat down with abc27’s Valerie Pritchett for Hot Topic Tuesday. The pair discussed recent efforts in the US to ban drones manufactured by DJI, a China-based technology company.
Is there a DJI drone ban in 2024? You can watch the entire interview right now to find out.
Are DJI Drones Banned in 2024?
DJI has been under intense scrutiny by US security, economic, and intelligence agencies for years. In 2020, the US Commerce Department blacklisted exports from DJI and three other Chinese companies based on concerns that their technologies are being used to carry out human rights abuses.
The Bureau of Industry and Security claims that these companies “have enabled wide-scale human rights abuses within China through abusive genetic collection and analysis or high-technology surveillance, and/or facilitated the export of items by China that aid repressive regimes around the world, contrary to US foreign policy interests.”
Other geopolitical analysts have chimed in as well. According to Scarab Rising’s Irina Tsukerman, “Recent intelligence reports point to a high possibility that Chinese technology in UAVs, automotive technology, and other types of widely used tech could be used for espionage. Collection of private and public data could assist Chinese efforts in achieving technological and military dominance against the US and could also be used to target American citizens and industries in various areas, ranging from more advanced intelligence gathering, profiling for recruitment purposes, and industrial espionage or sabotage.”
The recent amendment to ban DJI drones is a component of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). When news broke this summer that lawmakers were targeting China-made drones for a potential ban, drone owners and hobbyists everywhere began wondering, “If DJI drones are banned in the US, what does that mean for drones I already own?” According to Professor Sarvis:
“At the moment, the current DJI drones that people own are not going to be affected. The amendment to the Act is to ban future sales of DJI drones by prohibiting their transmission on the FCC networks.”
What Are Some Alternatives to DJI Drones?
The Department of Defense Innovation Unit has named five drone companies on their “blue list” of approved DJI drone alternatives. One of the challenges is the sheer number of DJI products on the market – and their oftentimes aggressively low pricing has made them an appealing alternative, even to some of these identified “safer” options.
Drones are only the latest Chinese product targeted by US lawmakers in the name of national security and economic protectionism. The US Senate passed a bill to ban all Xinjiang exports in 2021, the FCC banned the importation of Huawei and ZTE technologies in 2022, and in 2024 the US banned imports from five Chinese companies over allegations of forced labor.
For the time being, the fate of the DJI drone ban of 2024 is uncertain. The amendment to ban DJI drones in the US passed the House in June 2024, but that amendment was later removed from the National Defense Authorization Act. It has since been reintroduced and a senate vote will follow in September.
Drone Etiquette and Drone Remote ID
In the meantime, Professor Sarvis left viewers with two reminders about operating drones safely: Drone remote ID and drone etiquette.
“Remote ID went into effect back in March of this year. All drones being sold now have a remote ID module that broadcasts the location not just of the drone but of the controller operating it.”
As for drone etiquette? It’s all about care and respect.
“The Department of Commerce put out some best practices informing people that if you’re going to be using drones, show care and respect for the data you might be capturing. Ultimately, we’re in FAA airspace. Being respectful is the biggest piece.”
Drone technology has been a game-changer across several industries that are going high-tech. Advanced agriculture and sustainability; environmental science, conservation, construction, infrastructure maintenance, civic planning and engineering, law enforcement, forensics, and other fields are taking to new heights and having their data-gathering abilities substantially expanded by the availability and affordability of drones.
As drone laws, legislation, and bans continue to take off in the US, Harrisburg University’s professors will be here to explain what it all means.
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics. For additional information about the University’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
