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FCC moves to retroactively ban DJI-linked gadgets
The FCC wants to block sales of Skyrover drones and Xtra cameras already cleared for the US, using new powers it gave itself last year.
Image: The Verge
The FCC is preparing to use its new retroactive ban authority for the first time, targeting what it describes as “DJI front companies” that allegedly helped the Chinese drone maker get products into the US despite a foreign drone ban.
Two Fridays ago, the agency proposed a $25,000 fine for eight companies tied to products including Skyrover drones and Xtra cameras. It is now proposing a much tougher step: barring those same companies from continuing to import, distribute, market, and sell drones and cameras that had already received FCC approval.
That could hit products already on sale. The Verge points to Xtra’s version of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, which had FCC approval before the drone ban and was still being sold on Amazon with next-day shipping. If the FCC action takes effect, that device would likely disappear from major online retailers and Xtra’s own site, while unsold inventory in US warehouses could become worthless.
The proposed ban would not affect devices that customers have already bought, and it would not take effect immediately. The FCC is accepting public comments for 30 days and says it has only “tentatively” concluded that these companies are selling equipment that should be banned on national security grounds, while inviting “specific evidence” to the contrary.
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Companies and lab under scrutiny
The companies named by the FCC are Cogito Tech, Fixaxo Technology, Lyno Dynamics, Skyhigh Tech, Spatial Hover, SZ Knowact, WaveGo Tech, Xtra Technology, and XAG. According to the agency, none except XAG responded to its requests for information, and XAG’s reply did not include what the FCC had asked for.
The FCC also says it has “temporarily deferred the grantee codes of these companies,” though it did not define that phrase. The Verge reports that a former FCC official said he had never heard it before.
Most of the companies, aside from XAG, were identified by Konrad Iturbe, who tracked the alleged “FCC front companies” last year. The FCC also cites The Verge’s reporting on Xtra.
Separately, the agency said it is cutting ties with SGS-CSTC Shenzhen, a Chinese test lab involved in getting some of these products to market. The lab told the FCC it is not controlled by the Chinese government because China-owned CSTC holds only 15 percent ownership, but US law treats 10 percent or more ownership as control for radio authorization purposes in the US.
On July 10th, the FCC warned it could take further action against the eight alleged “DJI front companies” if they did not respond by July 20th.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via The Verge
