FCC fines eight companies for helping DJI bypass US drone ban
The US Federal Communications Commission has fined eight companies $25,000 each for allegedly acting as DJI front companies to evade the US ban on foreign drones.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken action against eight companies suspected of acting as front companies for Chinese drone manufacturer DJI, aiming to circumvent the US ban on foreign drone imports.
The companies—Cogito Tech, Fixaxo Technology, Lyno Dynamics, Skyhigh Tech, Spatial Hover, SZ Knowact (owner of Skyrover), WaveGo Tech, and Xtra Technology—each received a $25,000 fine for failing to respond to FCC inquiries. The FCC had asked whether they were marketing radio equipment that falls under its banned “Covered List,” but none replied.
In December 2024, the FCC added all foreign drone manufacturers to the Covered List, blocking new equipment certifications. Later, the FCC granted itself authority to retroactively revoke certifications for products already on the market if they contain components from banned entities. This move threatens DJI cameras and drones that were previously approved.
Notably, Xtra sells cameras nearly identical to DJI’s Osmo Pocket series. The company markets its Muse as a direct alternative to DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3 and now accepts deposits for an “Xtra Muse 2 Pro,” which appears to be a disguised DJI Pocket 4 Pro. However, both Xtra’s and DJI’s recent FCC filings have disappeared from the agency’s database, showing error messages when accessed.
The FCC also announced its intention to disqualify SGS Shenzhen as an accredited test lab, which helped certify DJI and WaveGo products. The lab is partially owned by a subsidiary of the China National Institute of Standardization, which the US considers a foreign adversary.
DJI has not yet commented on the FCC’s actions.
