Since being placed on a Department of Commerce entity list in 2020 over national security fears, China’s DJI has faced the threat of a US ban on its hyper-popular drones. After exhausting its appeals and losing a lawsuit last month, DJI products like the Mini 4 Pro, Avata 2 and Neo may disappear from US shelves starting December 23.
The situation could be even worse than initially expected. The FCC just gave itself the power to retroactively cut off products from companies on its “covered” list, including DJI. That gives the government the right to not just halt sales of future products, but enact rules preventing people from using drones they’ve already purchased.
DJI dominates the consumer US drone market, so a ban would be terrible news for hobbyists and creators, along with industrial and public safety operators. However, the government’s concerns about the company’s drones as potential spying tools are very real.
A brief history of DJI
DJI, or Da-Jiang Innovations, is based in Shenzhen, China and introduced its ready-to-fly, now-iconic Phantom drone in 2013. It was $629 and offered a more user-friendly experience than other drones at the time, opening up aerial photography to creators and cinematographers.
DJI Mavic 4 Pro (Steve Dent for Engadget)
The company followed with increasingly sophisticated products like the Mavic Pro, Mini 3 Pro and Avata, along with larger commercial drones. It continued to expand its range with the small but powerful Air 3, Neo and Flip. As of 2020, DJI had an estimated 77 percent of the US drone market (which accounts for 40 percent of its sales), leaving rivals to fight for scraps.
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Most observers attribute DJI’s dominance to its engineering-first culture. To give an idea of its technical progress, the latest 2025 Mavic 4 Pro can be flown from 25 miles away, compared to just 0.62 miles for the 2015 Phantom 3. Nearly every DJI drone feature, including video quality, battery life, range, tracking and obstacle detection, is superior to rivals.
Catching the eye of the US government
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