06/29/2025
An open letter to the US federal government, Senator Rick Scott, and the American Public regarding pending legislation to restrict foreign drones in America:
As an FAA licensed commercial drone pilot and owner of a local aerial imaging service, this proposed bill is yet another devastating blow to my livelihood! The US drone industry simply does not have ANY viable options for operators such as myself. DJI is the world leader in drone technology and NO ONE is even close, even at many times the price point. My $2,000 DJI drones are far more advanced than the $10,000+ options available domestically.
American consumers do not realize the amount of drone content they consume daily. From news footage and tv/movie scenes, to business presentations, construction site mapping, volumetric calculations of raw materials used to manufacture everyday items, to the food on our tables that has been sprayed for pests and produced using drone-based crop optimization techniques. 90% of this drone content is produced with DJI drones. Why such a high percent? Because there is no viable alternative.
Meanwhile, the livelihood of tens of thousands of commercial drone operators is slowly being destroyed. I run my business on DJI drones, as do 90% of other drone service providers, emergency service agencies, and industrial operations. Real estate agents, roofers, insurance adjusters, surveyors and others all use DJI drones to conduct their business. If I had to purchase equipment that cost many times what a DJI cost, I would have to raise my pricing to a level that most would not pay. But more importantly, the loss of safety provided by using Unmanned Aerial Systems for hazardous, high altitude inspections and lifesaving, real-time critical incident response made possible by drone technology will undoubtedly cost American lives.
The FY2025 NDAA requires a security audit to be completed by an unspecified national security agency before the end of the year- a review that has not even been scheduled or started. The “poison pill” clause in that act allows for the automatic inclusion of DJI on the FCC’s covered entities list-an effective blacklist- should that review not be successfully completed, and it looks like the federal government is deliberately running out the clock to avoid conducting this review. Why? Because they already know they won’t find any threats to national security, but admitting that doesn’t fit their agenda.
DJI has repeatedly passed independent audits by internationally recognized entities including Booz Allen Hamilton, FTI Consulting, Kivu,
Idaho National Laboratory and the federal government’s own Department of the Interior. It holds coveted certifications for data security and privacy best practices including ISO27001 and FIPS 140-2, and has an open invitation to US intelligence agencies to conduct a thorough review of their data security processes- a call that has gone unanswered as our leadership continues to spout unfounded misinformation in the name of “patriotism”. In reality, it’s nothing more than political rhetoric and conjecture. My industry, my livelihood, my family, and that of tens of thousands of other Americans who depend on reliable, advanced, and affordable drones every day deserve a fair and unbiased review by our nation’s leadership- not to have them sit on their hands and make no attempt to prove their own allegations. What precedent does it set to arbitrarily ban an entire company and product without proof of wrongdoing?
Senator Scott and his allies are putting the cart before the horse. The fledgling American drone industry must be nurtured and grown to the point that a competitive- in both price and capability- American made product can be brought to market before a ban can be considered. Almost every aspect of American industry will be adversely affected if drones simply disappear from our sky’s.
Sincerely,
Ty Lahnen
Zephyr Aerial
Zephyrhills, FL
