Drones

FCC Wants To Ban Drones It Already Approved for Sale

If the government wants consumer products pulled from shelves as dangerous, it should at least have to prove its case.

Joe Lancaster | 7.22.2026 3:00 PM

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(Illustration: DJI/Midjourney)

This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed expanding a ban on drones from other countries—including products it had previously approved and that are currently being sold in stores.

Two FCC agencies "propose to prohibit the continued importation and marketing of certain previously authorized equipment that has been determined to 'pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons,'" according to a notice published July 17. "In particular, we propose to apply such prohibitions to certain previously-authorized foreign-produced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and UAS critical components, and certain communications and video surveillance equipment."

The ban would apply not just to drones and drone parts but also components like cameras. The notice mentions nine manufacturers by name, which the FCC seems to suspect are just front companies repackaging and selling........

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