If DJI and Autel Robotics drones truly pose an immediate national security threat, then why are thousands of them still flying over America every single day?
That’s the uncomfortable question now being thrown directly at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the agency’s public comment window on foreign-made drones officially closes.
In a detailed filing, the Drone Service Provider’s Alliance (DSPA) argues that Washington’s current approach to DJI and Autel drones contains a major contradiction: regulators say the risks are serious enough to justify sweeping restrictions, but apparently not serious enough to ground existing fleets already embedded across public safety, infrastructure, agriculture, and commercial operations nationwide.
It’s worth noting that DSPA is not a tiny advocacy organization speaking only for hobbyists. The alliance represents more than 33,000 remote pilots, including Part 107 operators, inspection companies, mapping firms, utility contractors, emergency-response providers, agricultural service companies, construction documentation specialists, media operators, and public safety support providers. In other words, the people actually flying drones in the field.
