DJI’s Feud With the US Government Continues With a New Lawsuit

Where geopolitics and drones converge

DJI Air 3S
The DJI Air 3S.
DJI

What happens when a technology company’s product is exceedingly popular, even as its origins spark controversy after controversy? That’s the situation that the Shenzhen-based drone company DJI has found itself in. Earlier this year, the New York Times‘ Kate Kelly explored the paradox the company is currently navigating: its products are popular for first responders, but the company is also on a list of entities the U.S. military will be prohibited from doing business with.

Now, DJI is pushing back with a lawsuit against the Department of Defense. As The Verge’s Sean Hollister reports, DJI argued that it should not be considered affiliated with the Chinese military.

In the lawsuit itself, DJI states that it “is neither owned nor controlled” by the military, and that the drones that it sells are not designed for military purposes. The lawsuit goes on to cite a number of cases where law enforcement, first responders and U.S. government agencies have used DJI’s products to successfully carry out various (non-military) tasks.

This is far from the first time that DJI has tangled with the U.S. government. Earlier this year, the drone company pushed back against accusations that it was using a second company to circumvent the U.S. government’s ban. A few months earlier, DJI also responded to security concerns raised by the FBI.

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Writing at The Verge, Hollister notes that the U.S. Department of Defense is “far from the only US government entity that’s been inclined to restrict and scrutinize the company over possible ties to the Chinese government.” DJI’s lawsuit contends that the company has been “stigmatized” and “lost business deals” as a result of its earlier designation. With Chinese-made goods a prominent issue this election season, it’s likely we haven’t heard the last of this lawsuit.

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