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December 23rd, 2025. That’s the day DJI will automatically be banned from the United States — unless Trump steps in.
You’ll still be able to fly your existing DJI drones and film with existing Osmo cameras. But DJI will be barred from importing any new products into the US, and the FCC can retroactively ban imports of old DJI products too, after a waiting period. Not just drones, by the way — anything with a wireless radio.
Why a ban? Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle claim to be worried the Chinese company is spying on us, even though the US government has never publicly provided evidence of that. Some worry China could compel the company to turn over drone data. (DJI has denied it shares any data with China, claims it stores all such data in the US and announced it would delete all US flight logs in September 2024.)
Some also suggest DJI wouldn’t need to be compelled because DJI is allegedly “owned by the Chinese Communist Party,” though a US judge decided there wasn’t enough evidence to back that up in September 2025.
Either way, lawmakers and Trump would clearly prefer that American drones “dominate” the skies rather than Chinese ones, and it’s true that DJI’s drones dominate today. No other company has been able to produce similarly a volume of high-quality, low-cost drones, to the point that some Republican lawmakers finally began to push back against a ban just weeks before the December 2025 deadline.
They argue that DJI drones are important for farmers, energy companies, and rescue workers since no viable alternatives exist. Most of of DJI’s old competitors, like Skydio, have pivoted to enterprise and military — the new Insta360/Antigravity A1 is an unusual exception.
Even without a ban, DJI was already on the rails. US customs has been blocking many of its drone imports for over a year, seemingly claiming that DJI was using forced labor to produce its drones. (DJI denies this.) Between import scrutiny, increased tariffs and the broader political situation, most of its products had disappeared from store shelves; it didn’t even bother to launch its flagship Mavic 4 Pro, Mini 5 Pro, and Neo 2 in the US.
Instead, it appears DJI has been looking to sneak its products into the US under other brand names, like Xtra for cameras, or Skyrover for consumer drones, though the FCC will likely be able to crack down on those as well.
At this point, the ban looks inevitable. To avoid it, “an appropriate national security agency” would need to audit DJI and decide it’s not a threat, but DJI says no agency has taken up the task just weeks before the deadline.
But never say never. Remember the TikTok ban? Trump pressed pause on that one, despite it being signed into law, and those lawmakers seem to have no idea what might happen next. Trump has recently enjoyed shaking down tech companies including Intel, Nvidia, and Apple in exchange for political and financial wins, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him cut a deal with DJI as well.
US DJI ban is less than a month away.
The company’s drones and cameras will be banned by default unless a national security audit is completed by December 23rd, which is highly unlikely. Sure Trump has extended the TikTok ban several times, but Don Jr’s monetary stake in miniature drones made by competitors suggests the end is nigh.
DJI’s Neo 2 selfie drone launches globally, but not in the US
After launching exclusively in China last month, DJI is announcing wider global availability for its Neo 2 selfie drone, including Japan, Canada, the UK, and other countries where the company sells its drones. But as with the Mavic 4 Pro and 8K Osmo 360 camera, the Neo 2 won’t be available in the US. “DJI remains committed to the US market and serving our US-based customers. Like many global companies, we’ve had to adjust our market strategies as the local conditions and industry environment have evolved,” DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong told The Verge in an emailed statement.
The Neo 2’s upgrades include a lidar-based obstacle avoidance system to detect and avoid crash hazards, an improved following speed of nearly 27mph, better wind resistance, and a new gesture control system allowing the drone’s distance and position to be adjusted without a remote. For pilots who prefer a controller, the Neo 2 has an optional antenna that can be installed, but it’s not needed for autonomous flying. Without the DJI Neo 2 Digital Transceiver attached, the drone weighs 151 grams and can fly for up to 19 minutes.
The FCC just gave itself the power to make a DJI drone ban stick
Image: DJI
This morning, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-0 to let itself retroactively ban gadgets and radio components that it previously approved for entry into the United States, if the company that makes them is deemed a national security risk.
Officially, it’s a way to close loopholes and protect US networks from backdoors in Chinese telecom gear. But it could also give the Trump administration a new way to block Chinese consumer electronics that run on the open airwaves, starting with those from dronemaker DJI, even though the US government hasn’t publicly released evidence that they pose a threat.
DJI’s not-for-US drones are suddenly available on Amazon two months ahead of a ban.
DJI’s excellent Osmo Pocket 3 is over $200 off in its first sale since tariffs
Xtra: the company that lets DJI sneak its popular cameras into the US
Pentagon can call DJI a Chinese Military Company, court rules
Image: DJI
DJI’s Mini 5 Pro is the latest must-have drone you can’t have in the US
Image: DJI
In 2023, DJI created a massive hit with the Osmo Pocket 3, a tiny steadicam with a far bigger one-inch-type sensor that dramatically improved the quality of video you could get with so tiny a gadget. Today, the company may be doing the same with its most popular portable line of drones — and with better battery life than ever.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro is the company’s first compact drone with a 50-megapixel one-inch-type sensor, up from 1/1.3-inch in the Mini 4 Pro. At 15.19 x 11.11mm, it offers more than twice the sensor area, which could mean capturing more light; DJI claims 14 stops of dynamic range.
I flew Insta360’s Antigravity — it could change how drones are made
I know my way around a pair of joysticks — but I’d prefer to soar. I don’t want to think about filming while I’m flying. I’d rather explore.
Now, camera maker Insta360 is launching its first drone, under a new drone company, to serve that exact demand. It’s called Antigravity, and in January 2026, it’ll ship a flying 360-degree camera which — unlike today’s drones — will always come bundled with goggles that put you inside its virtual cockpit.
Trump’s FAA wants to let companies (and you) fly drones beyond the line of sight.
Did you know it’s generally illegal to fly drones farther than you can see with your naked eye? That may be about to change — but the 731-page proposed rule doesn’t seem like blanket deregulation. Looks like it’ll cut red tape for drone delivery and automated inspection, but humans will still need to be in charge, it’ll require permits, and the more populated an area you want to fly over, the stricter the requirements.
DJI won’t sell you an Osmo 360 in the US — but these retailers will
Image: DJI
DJI couldn’t confirm or deny it disguised this drone to evade a US ban
Image: AirPhotography
DJI barely sells drones in the United States anymore. The shelves are bare; resellers are jacking up prices. It appears an unofficial ban at US customs is to blame. But on Amazon, you can now buy a drone that’s a dead ringer for the DJI Mini 4 Pro — the SkyRover X1 — for a reasonable $758. And that’s probably because DJI made it happen.
There’s evidence suggesting so, and DJI was not able to deny the SkyRover X1 was a DJI product one day after we reached out.
DJI ‘remains committed to the US market’ as shelves go bare of drones
Is DJI exiting the US drone market? The company says no — but it would not explain to The Verge what has changed such that it can’t even keep a single drone on shelves.
When I walked into my local Best Buy store today, June 24th, there were zero DJI drones available to purchase. There wasn’t even an empty spot for each drone to go. The entire DJI aisle had been swept clean of price tags, lockers, and products — save a handful of motorized gimbals, action cameras, a single lone RC controller, and an almost empty premium endcap spot where a flagship drone would normally go.
DJI is now six months away from a US ban — it wants you to ‘make your voice heard now.’
It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud: A Chinese company wants to be audited by the US government, and it’s asking you for help!
Sure enough, Trump’s EO on ‘American Drone Dominance’ doesn’t contain a DJI ban.
Is Trump about to ban DJI drones — or help them avoid a ban?
The Washington Post is reporting he’s expected to sign executive orders on drones next week, suggesting they could “end Chinese drone sales in the US.”
That might be true, but the main action WaPo describes is “the executive order could direct the U.S. intelligence community to accelerate reviews of whether Chinese drone makers DJI and Autel are national security risks” — which is exactly what DJI would like the US to do. DJI products will be automatically banned unless an agency finishes that review. If there’s a review, there’s a chance.
DJI won’t explain why the Mavic 4 Pro went on sale in the USA.
DJI said it wouldn’t, but it weirdly did anyhow. Now, the company won’t answer our questions about the launch at all. How did Adorama obtain a shipment of drones? Will DJI honor the preorders at B&H? Does any other retailer have a shipment? Will DJI honor its warranty on those sales?
“We are unable to provide any additional information at this time,” DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong tells The Verge. Adorama’s pages now say “temporarily unavailable”; B&H has “suspended backorders” for now.
DJI is skipping the US with its most advanced drone yet
Today, DJI is officially announcing the Mavic 4 Pro, which could be the most versatile drone it’s ever made. It’s the first with a 360-degree rotating gimbal for footage that tilts, rolls, and offers true vertical filming. It’s the first Mavic to offer 51 minutes of battery life, tied with the old Mini 3 and close to the longest flight times DJI has achieved. It’s the first with a built-in 100-megapixel camera, which can also record 6K/60fps HDR, as part of its triple-camera array.
Another important distinction: it’s the first off-the-shelf DJI drone that won’t launch in the United States. Or at least, that was the plan — since we published this story, we’ve discovered that two US retailers are actually selling it anyhow starting at $2,699.
DJI’s back-to-back Osmo Pocket 3 price hikes take it from $519 to $799 in two months
Photo by Quentyn Kennemer / The Verge
We’ve called DJI’s baby steadicam “almost everything I wanted my iPhone camera to be” and one of our favorite gadgets of 2023, but it’s just become a harder product to recommend. In April, DJI quietly hiked the US price of the camera from $519 to $619. Now, DJI has hiked the price again, officially listing the camera at $799 in the US.
That’s a $280 price hike in just two months, a 54 percent increase, and the company says it’s not a mistake. “The price you saw today is the current price,” DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong tells The Verge. We’re seeing that US retailers have already updated their listings.
DJI explains why it won’t stop drones from flying over the White House — and what happens in a US ban
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
DJI claims its decision to let drones fly in dangerous areas is not political
DJI will no longer stop drones from flying over airports, wildfires, and the White House
Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images
For over a decade, you couldn’t easily fly a DJI drone over restricted areas in the United States. DJI’s software would automatically stop you from flying over runways, power plants, public emergencies like wildfires, and the White House.
But confusingly, amidst the greatest US outpouring of drone distrust in years, and an incident of a DJI drone operator hindering LA wildfire fighting efforts, DJI is getting rid of its strong geofence. DJI will no longer enforce “No-Fly Zones,” instead only offering a dismissible warning — meaning only common sense, empathy, and the fear of getting caught by authorities will prevent people from flying where they shouldn’t.
DJI escapes US drone ban — but may get banned automatically unless Trump steps in
Image: DJI
The US Senate has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual defense spending bill, and it may have major consequences for the world’s largest drone company — though not necessarily the immediate ban that China’s DJI feared.
While it did not contain the full “Countering CCP Drones Act” provisions that would have quickly blocked imports of DJI products into the United States, it instead kicks off a one-year countdown until its products (and those of rival dronemaker Autel Robotics) are automatically banned.
DJI sues the US Department of Defense for labeling it a ‘Chinese Military Company’
DJI, the world’s largest drone company, is suing to avoid being seen as a tool of the Chinese government. On Friday, it sued the US Department of Defense to delete its name from a list of “Chinese Military Companies,” claiming it has no such relationship to Chinese authorities and has suffered unfairly as a result of that designation.
Since DJI was added to that list in 2022, the company claims, it has “lost business deals, been stigmatized as a national security threat, and been banned from contracting with multiple federal government agencies,” and that its employees “now suffer frequent and pervasive stigmatization” and are “repeatedly harassed and insulted in public places.”
DJI says US customs is blocking its drone imports
Image: DJI
DJI tells The Verge that it currently cannot freely import all of its drones into the United States — and that its latest consumer drone, the Air 3S, won’t currently be sold at retail as a result.
That’s not because the United States has suddenly banned DJI drones — rather, DJI believes the import restrictions are “part of a broader initiative by the Department of Homeland Security to scrutinize the origins of products, particularly in the case of Chinese-made drones,” according to DJI.
