Grounded: DJI’s Drone Drama — The FCC’s New Retroactive Ban Power and Your Quadcopter

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If you own a DJI drone, congratulations — you currently possess a tiny flying supercomputer and a potential future museum piece. 

The FCC has quietly given itself the power to retroactively ban “radio frequency devices” by adding them to its Covered List, which means a company could be declared a national-security no-go and its previously sold gadgets could be nudged off U.S. shelves. 

In plain terms: your drone could go from “ready to fly” to “please confer with your nearest regulator” by act of paperwork and a deadline.

DJI’s response has been crisp and worried-in-a-PR-way. 

“DJI is not included on the FCC's Covered List, so this change to the rules does not currently apply to DJI,” Adam Welsh, Head of Global Policy at DJI, told TechRadar. 

“However, under the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a national security agency must complete a risk assessment of DJI drones by December 23, 2025.” 

That date is the new red letter on the calendar for drone owners.

Why does the date matter? 

Because of how the FY25 NDAA interlocks with the FCC’s new retroactive authority. “If that assessment is not completed by the deadline, DJI and another Chinese drone manufacturer would automatically be added to the FCC's Covered List, without any evidence of wrongdoing or the right to appeal,” Welsh warned. 

In short: bureaucratic inertia equals automatic blacklist. 

The result would be akin to a telecom version of déjà vu — remember the Huawei equipment fallout in 2019? 

Think of this as the drone edition.

DJI says it’s ready to be audited. 

“DJI has repeatedly expressed its readiness to take part in a transparent, timely, and fair audit through official channels,” Welsh continued. “More than ten months have now passed with no sign that the process has begun. As the deadline approaches, we urge the US government to start the mandated review or grant an extension to ensure a fair, evidence-based process that protects American jobs, safety, and innovation.” 

He added what every policy person says on a good day: “The US government has every right to strengthen national security measures, but this must go hand in hand with due process, fairness, and transparency.” 

Those are exquisitely reasonable words to utter while watching a timer tick toward December.

So what could actually happen to your DJI Mini or Mavic if the Covered List eats DJI? 

First, older models could be taken off store shelves. 

Second, the FCC’s sweeping language reaches “modular transmitters,” meaning components or partner-branded products that use the same radios aren’t automatically safe. 

Third, even if regulators promise not to physically yank drones out of consumers’ garages, owners could face a cascade of practical problems: app features disabled, cloud services curtailed, OTA updates blocked, parts harder to find, and warranty or software support evaporating like battery life in winter. 

Not to mention the resale market getting friendlier with skepticism than enthusiasm.

This is not purely theoretical. 

DJI devices have already been in regulatory crosshairs for years, and supply chains and retailers have been nervously rebalancing inventory. 

With the federal government occasionally hampered by gridlock and shutdowns, deadlines that require interagency risk assessments risk becoming automatic triggers rather than considered outcomes. 

The straight-shot: a ban might happen by default because process deadlines pass, not because an agency produced a damning report.

If you’re buying now, be aware: stock and availability may shrink, and some retailers may steer you toward non-covered alternatives. 

If you already own a DJI, keep receipts, back up flight logs locally, and consider whether you need a business case for continued use. 

And if you’re a policy wonk or a person who likes neat outcomes, watch December 23, 2025 — the day when due process either happens or the rule-book flips a coin.

Either way, the new FCC rule is a reminder that in a digital age, consumer hardware is never just hardware — it’s a geopolitical footnote, a line item in an intelligence assessment, and, sometimes, a complicated handshake between technology and trust.


Rise of the Robo-Ravens: How AI, Automation & Drone Swarms Are Turning Warfare Into Sci-Fi

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#DJIGrounded #CoveredListCountdown #FCCRetroBan #AdamWelshSays #NDAADeadline #Dec232025 #DroneDrama #ModularTransmitterRisk #AuditOrExtension #HuaweiRedux #CloudCutoffRisk #BuyersBewareDrones #PolicyNotPanic #DueProcessNow #AeroGeopolitics



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