January 13, 2026
No fly, all fury
The U.S. Government Just Followed Through on Its Ban of DJI Drones
US Grounds All Foreign Drones—Hobbyists Revolt, Memes Explode
TLDR: The U.S. effectively grounded new foreign-made consumer drones by putting them on the FCC’s ban list. Commenters are split between national security logic and maker-culture panic, with fears Canada follows and calls for homegrown parts to avoid the next tech crackdown.
America just slammed the brakes on your favorite flying gadgets: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC—America’s tech referee) threw every foreign-made consumer drone onto its “Covered List”. After a year of suspense over DJI, commenters say the government basically ghosted the promised review, then nuked the whole industry. Cue chaos. One user rewrote the headline as, “The US Banned All New Foreign Drones,” while another spiraled into dystopia, warning that rising unrest means drones aren’t just toys anymore. Maker folks lit up the thread: if drones are out, what’s next—3D printers, Wi‑Fi chips, open radios? A popular hot take begged for a Western replacement for the beloved ESP32 Wi‑Fi board before the ban wave hits. Others kept it geopolitical: the war in Ukraine turned drone supply into a strategic asset, so this is about national capacity, not hobby fun. Canada got dragged: “How long till Ottawa copies this?” Meanwhile, the humor flowed—“RIP drone era” GIFs, “goodbye, Mavic” mixtapes, and jokes about backyard balloon cams. The thread split into two camps: security hawks saying data and battlefield lessons justify the crackdown, vs hobbyists and small businesses mourning lost tools, spare parts, and jobs. Drama level: sky-high.
Key Points
- •The U.S. ban targeting DJI drones has taken effect.
- •The FCC expanded restrictions by placing all foreign-made consumer drones on its Covered List.
- •The U.S. Senate passed the NDAA on December 23, 2024, requiring a one-year review of DJI by a national security agency.
- •The article says the government did not carry out the promised review of DJI within the allotted year.
- •As of December 23, 2025, the ban passed and now affects nearly all non-U.S. consumer drone brands in the American market.