The US House passed a bill that would ban Chinese dronemaker DJI amid growing concerns about the security and privacy implications of Chinese drones in US skies.

US lawmakers have been increasing their scrutiny of Chinese companies over concerns about national security, as well as privacy. All Chinese firms are legally obligated to assist Beijing in its espionage and surveillance efforts. This poses a much greater threat when dealing with a telecommunications firm, or a firm that essentially creates flying cameras.

“The new Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency report makes clear that Communist Chinese drones present a legitimate national security risk to our critical infrastructure and must be banned from the U.S.,” said representatives Elise Stefanik and Mike Gallagher, the bills co-authors. “The CCP has subsidized drone companies such as DJI and Autel in order to destroy American competition and spy on America’s critical infrastructure sites. We must ban CCP-backed spy drones from America and work to bolster the U.S. drone industry.”

The Countering CCP Drones Act has been included as part of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill would not ban existing DJI drones that consumers have already purchased, but would ban new sales.

DJI consistently ranks at or near the top of many outlet’s drone reviews, meaning a ban on the brand would have a significant impact on the drone market in the US. There is no guarantee a ban will go into effect, as it must still pass the Senate before being sent to President Biden to be signed into law.

Either way, Countering CCP Drones Act demonstrates the ongoing trade and security issues that exist between the US and China, with many more companies and brands likely to be caught in the middle.