DJI strikes back at the US Department of Defense

DJI, undoubtedly the first name among the manufacturers of unmanned drones, is suing the US Department of Defense, which placed the Chinese company on the list of "Chinese military companies" and thereby limited the manufacturer with a number of measures and restrictions. DJI says that the allegations are not based on any evidence and that they have suffered significant damages as a result of the designation.

DJI claims that since being added to the list in 2022, it has "lost many businesses, been stigmatized as a national security threat, has been banned from contracting with several federal government agencies," and that its employees "are now frequently and universally stigmatized, harassed and insulted in public places."

It also claims that the Ministry of Defense refused to offer the company any explanation for the "Chinese military company" designation until DJI threatened to sue in September of this year. DJI also claims that the DoD's rationale, when it was finally offered, was riddled with errors.

The US Department has yet to respond to the lawsuit. DJI is far from the only company that has fallen out of favor with the US government. One of the more resounding names is certainly Huawei, which also came under the scrutiny of the United States five years ago.

The US Army already banned the use of DJI drones among its units in 2017, and two years later the US Department of the Interior intervened and grounded all DJI devices due to suspicions of espionage.

In 2020, the United States added DJI to the list of entities to which American companies may not export their technology. The reason? Massive human rights violations in China and widespread illegal surveillance.

Government institutions have been barred from buying DJI drones as a result of the measures, and the Chinese manufacturer recently announced that its products had been blocked by US customs, citing a new law to prevent Uyghur forced labor.

DJI maintains that it is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government and has no connection to the treatment of the Uyghurs. They are a company that sells drones that can be used for a variety of purposes over which they have no control. They also pointed out that they have repeatedly passed independent reviews by consulting firms and government agencies, and no one has found any security threats.

Congress is currently considering a blanket ban on DJI devices on US soil, but has yet to come to a conclusion. Even if there is a ban, existing owners will be able to use their devices as normal.