Federal Communications Commission Bans Foreign-Made Drones in the U.S.

What Happened?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a statement this week saying it had received a determination from an unspecified national security agency or agencies that drones and components for drones manufactured abroad constitute an unacceptable national security risk to the government and people of the United States. Because of the security risk posed by foreign-made drones, those devices and their components will now be banned in the United States.

The FCC added that the ban does not apply to commercially available drones already purchased by consumers or on store shelves for purchase. Rather, the ban applies to new models of foreign-made drones, which will be prohibited from sale or purchase in the United States in the future.

Why it Matters

There have been several incidents involving unauthorized drones flying around or near U.S. government installations, as well as vital infrastructure such as power stations. While there have been no direct attacks on U.S. government installations by drones in the U.S., there have been hundreds of such attacks abroad, meaning it is only a matter of time before drone attacks could be carried out in the U.S. 

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The new FCC ruling is designed to prevent drone attacks on U.S. government installations or critical infrastructure. Because commercially available drones are cheap and readily available, converting them into weapons is well within the means of almost anyone with the desire to do so. The war in Ukraine has become a primary laboratory for new ways to weaponize commercial drones, and thousands of videos are available online showing viewers how to do that with parts they can purchase anywhere. 

While the ban allows American citizens to continue using drones they already own, repairing those drones will likely become more difficult in the future since the parts needed to do so will be included in the new ban. In particular, components made by Chinese company DJI, which is by far the most popular commercial drone in the world, will be banned under the FCC ruling. While sales of DJI drones in the U.S. have been strong, the inability to repair or buy new parts for those drones will likely hurt sales going forward.

Neither the FCC nor the Trump Administration provided any specific details to explain how or why the new ban was deemed necessary. If someone wanted to weaponize drones, they could still easily do so, which raises the question of why only future foreign-made drones were banned and not current ones.

How it Affects You

The new rule takes effect on December 23, 2025. For drone enthusiasts, hobbyists, or entrepreneurs, the FCC ruling will limit their ability to buy and use drones made abroad, which includes all the best-selling commercial drones. Whether foreign manufacturers will open drone factories in the U.S. remains to be seen, but drones produced in the U.S. would appear to be excluded from the current ban.