History of DJI in Timeline

DJI is a Chinese technology company based in Shenzhen, specializing in the manufacturing of commercial drones for aerial photography and videography. Their product line also includes camera systems, gimbal stabilizers, propulsion systems, enterprise software, aerial agriculture equipment, and flight control systems. DJI has become a dominant player in the drone market, catering to both consumer and commercial applications with its innovative technology.

January 2015: Phantom FC40 Drone Crashes into White House South Lawn

In January 2015, a Phantom FC40 drone crashed into the White House's south lawn in Washington, D.C., US. DJI subsequently set up a no-fly Geo-system and forced all drones to update the firmware, preventing flights from getting closer to, or taking off from restricted zones, based on GPS location.

2015: Tokyo Drone Incident Leads to Restrictions

In 2015, during the Tokyo drone incident, a DJI Phantom 2 drone carrying radioactive material landed on the official residence of the Prime Minister of Japan, leading to the National Diet passing a law restricting drone flights near government buildings and nuclear sites.

2016: ISIS Uses DJI Drones as Explosive Devices

In 2016, ISIS used DJI drones as exploding devices in Iraq. DJI later created a broad no-fly zone over nearly all of Iraq and Syria. Also in 2016, a DJI drone was nearly involved in a midair collision with a Chinese fighter jet, resulting in the Chinese government insisting that DJI develop an air traffic registry to track its drones within China.

May 2017: Army Research Laboratory report on cyber vulnerabilities

In May 2017, the Army Research Laboratory released a report which found cyber vulnerabilities in DJI products. This report informed the US Army's August 2017 decision to disallow the use of DJI products.

July 2017: DJI's software did not meet information-sharing requirements

In July 2017, the United States Department of the Interior's Office of Aviation Services stated in their analysis that DJI's software did not meet their information-sharing requirements.

August 2017: DJI GO app and US Army Disallows DJI Products

In August 2017, The Register reported that the DJI GO app contained the JSPatch framework, violating Apple's rules. Also in August, the United States Army changed its internal guidance, disallowing the use of DJI products, especially in battlefield scenarios, based on a report from May 2017 that found cyber vulnerabilities.

2017: DJI bug bounty program launched

In 2017, DJI launched a bug bounty program, enlisting third-party and white hat hackers to find flaws. However, the ill-prepared program resulted in miscommunication between DJI and security researchers and a public relations crisis after a security breach was disclosed when DJI accidentally published its SSL certificate on GitHub. The program led DJI to modify its terms and conditions.

March 2018: IDF Uses DJI Drones to Drop Tear Gas on Gazan Protestors

On 30 March 2018, the Israel Defense Forces used DJI's Matrice 600 drones to drop tear gas from above on Gazan protestors.

August 2018: Attempted Assassination of Nicolás Maduro Using DJI Drones

On 4 August 2018, two Matrice 600 drones detonated explosives near Avenida Bolívar, Caracas in an apparent attempt to assassinate Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.

2018: Kivu Consulting analysis of DJI data handling

In 2018, in response to allegations of mishandling user data, DJI commissioned Kivu Consulting to conduct an analysis. Kivu found that only the DJI GO 4 app was connected to the Internet, that it worked without an Internet connection and only uploaded data after user confirmation, and that it used US-based servers, except for the Bugly crash reporting app, which uploaded crash reports to a server located in China.

2019: Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act

The legislation pending in the U.S. Senate in September 2024 aims to include DJI on a list maintained by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019.

January 2020: DOI Grounds DJI Drones Due to Security Concerns

In January 2020, the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) announced that it would be grounding around 800 DJI drones over security concerns, which it had been using for wildlife conservation and infrastructure monitoring purposes.

May 2020: River Loop Security Claims Security Concerns with DJI's Mimo App

In May 2020, River Loop Security claimed DJI's Mimo app, used for controlling Osmo gimbals, had security concerns for users and policy-makers, claims reiterated by Parrot SA. DJI countered the analysis, calling it "inaccurate, outdated, and sensationalized".

July 2020: Reports Suggest Potential Security Vulnerabilities in DJI GO 4 Android App

In July 2020, two separate reports by Synacktiv and GRIMM suggested that the Android version of the DJI GO 4 had potential security vulnerabilities that allowed the collection of smartphone IMSI and IMEI numbers, as well as bypassing the Google Play Store. The app also integrated Weibo SDK, allowing the installation of Weibo-related third-party apps. Although researchers found no evidence that any information was collected and sent to China or any backdoor, these reports boosted the espionage allegations from the US government.

November 2020: Senators Criticize Air Force Decision to Purchase DJI Drones

In November 2020, senators Chris Coons, Rick Scott, and others criticized a decision by the United States Air Force to purchase DJI drones on security grounds.

December 2020: DJI Added to Bureau of Industry and Security's Entity List

In December 2020, the United States Department of Commerce added DJI to the Bureau of Industry and Security's Entity List.

2020: Booz Allen Hamilton Analysis Finds No Unauthorized Data Transfers

In 2020, an analysis by Booz Allen Hamilton reported that they did not find evidence of unauthorized data transfers to China. The various apps used backend servers located in the US, with the only exception being crash analytics, which connected to Chinese servers.

January 2021: President Trump Orders Removal of Chinese-Made Drones

In January 2021, President Trump signed an executive order mandating the removal of Chinese-made drones from U.S. government fleets.

May 2021: DOD Analysis Recommends DJI 'Government Edition' Drones for US Government Use

In May 2021, the United States Department of Defense issued an analysis of DJI products. The unclassified portion of the report concluded that two types of drone in the DJI "Government Edition" line-up show "no malicious code or intent and are recommended for use by government entities and forces working with US services."

December 2021: US Treasury Prohibits Investment in DJI

In December 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury prohibited investment in DJI by US individuals and entities, accusing the company of assisting the People's Liberation Army and being complicit in aiding the persecution of Uyghurs.

May 2022: Concerns About AeroScope Detection Platform and Ukrainian Drones

In May 2022, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov claimed the AeroScope detection platform gave Russian forces the ability to track Ukrainian drones, giving Russia an advantage, and asked DJI to impose no-fly zones over parts of Ukraine. DJI responded that its drones are designed for civilians and inappropriate for military use due to visibility features. DJI could try to ban drones from certain airspaces under a formal request from the Ukrainian government, but doing so would affect all parties' drones being flown there and could be countered by operators preventing their drones from receiving updates.

October 2022: DJI Added to DOD List of "Chinese Military Companies"

In October 2022, the United States Department of Defense added DJI to a list of "Chinese military companies" operating in the U.S.

March 2023: Accusations of Lobbying and Limited Market Competition

In March 2023, during a Senate Committee meeting, Florida state senator Jason Pizzo accused Blue sUAS, a government program, and Florida Department of Management Services Secretary Pedro Allende of accepting aggressive lobbying from Skydio and limiting DJI from market competition despite no proven evidence of DJI drones sending data to any unknown source while in operation.

October 2023: Ukrainian Government Announces Purchase of DJI Drones

In October 2023, the Ukrainian government announced the purchase of 4,000 DJI drones and the plan to purchase 20,000 DJI drones by May 2024. DJI drones and small UAVs became an ubiquitous and critical part of the war in Ukraine.

2023: DJI Enlists Lobbying Firms for US Restrictions

In 2023, DJI enlisted lobbying firms Subject Matter (later Avoq), Vogel Group, and CLS Strategies to address U.S. restrictions and challenges.

February 2024: Vogel Group and Avoq Cease Representation of DJI

In February 2024, amid debates on Chinese client representation, Vogel Group and Avoq ceased representation of DJI.

April 2024: DJI Launches Trust Center

In April 2024, DJI launched a Trust Center that publishes updates on third-party audits and certifications, along with information on security measures and privacy controls implemented in its drones.

May 2024: Concerns Raised About DJI Licensing Designs to Anzu Robotics

In May 2024, concerns were raised about DJI designs, parts, and software being licensed to Anzu Robotics, a drone company based in Texas.

May 2024: Ukraine Plans To Purchase More DJI Drones

The Ukrainian government planned to purchase 20,000 DJI drones by May 2024.

June 2024: Restrictions on Procuring New DJI Drones Remain in Place Except for Specific Purposes

As of June 2024, procuring new DJI drones was still prohibited except for wildfire management and search and rescue purposes.

August 2024: U.S. House Committee Probes Anzu Robotics

In August 2024, the United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party began a probe into Anzu Robotics, calling Anzu a "passthrough company" used to "avoid current and anticipated U.S. restrictions on DJI products".

September 2024: DJI Denies Affiliation with Anzu Robotics

In September 2024, DJI denied allegations of affiliation with Anzu Robotics, stating that their relationship is limited to a standard technology licensing agreement.

September 2024: U.S. House Passes Countering CCP Drones Act

In September 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Countering CCP Drones Act, which aims to include DJI on a list maintained by the FCC. This action would effectively prevent DJI's drones from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure.

September 2024: GAO Reports Restrictions Impact DOI Operations

In September 2024, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that restrictions on the use of DJI drones negatively impacted the Department of Interior's operations as well as those of its partners. The DOI did not ban the use of existing DJI drones for emergency flights.

October 2024: DJI Files Lawsuit Against U.S. Department of Defense

In October 2024, DJI filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense in an attempt to have the designation removed, arguing that it "is neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military."

October 2024: U.S. Customs Stops Import of Certain DJI Drones

In October 2024, it was reported that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection was stopping the import of certain DJI drones into the U.S. under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

2024: FTI Consulting Analysis Supports Data Transmission Security

A 2024 analysis by FTI Consulting supports the conclusion that "all first-party data transmissions, or transmissions to DJI owned infrastructure, resided within the United States." The report highlights that DJI employs certificate pinning and Transport Layer Security (TLS) to secure data streams, and its Restricted Network Mode (RNM) and Local Data Mode (LDM) reduced or eliminated information sharing over the network.

January 2025: DJI Releases Update Permitting Flights Over Restricted Areas

In January 2025, DJI released an update that permitted its products to fly over previously restricted areas such as military bases, runways, or power plants.

September 2025: DJI Loses Lawsuit Against U.S. Department of Defense

In September 2025, DJI lost the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense. The court ruled that the Defense Department had substantial evidence supporting its finding that DJI contributes to the "Chinese defense industrial base."