US District Judge Paul Friedman has ruled that the Department of Defense presented sufficient evidence to keep DJI on the Pentagon’s list of “Chinese military companies.” The court found DJI’s drone technology has both substantial theoretical and actual military application, and that DJI’s internal policies barring military use do not negate that reality.
Key points
- Judge: Paul Friedman (ruling date: Sept 26, 2025).
- DJI argued it is “neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military” and that its policies bar military use; the court said policy statements don’t change actual application.
- DJI has faced prior US restrictions: added to the Commerce Department Entity List in 2020 and to a Treasury list in 2021 amid allegations including surveillance in Xinjiang.
- The company now faces a potential US import ban by the end of 2025; the ban was postponed from 2024 by a clause giving time to evaluate national-security risk.
- DJI sought evaluation from five US national-security agencies earlier this year (DHS, DoD, FBI, NSA and ODNI).
Quote from the opinion
“Indeed, DJI acknowledges that its technology can and is used in military conflict but asserts that its policies prohibit such use,” Friedman wrote. “Whether or not DJI’s policies prohibit military use is irrelevant. That does not change the fact that DJI’s technology has both substantial theoretical and actual military application.”
Sources and further reading
- South China Morning Post — DJI loses lawsuit against Pentagon
- PetaPixel — DJI loses its lawsuit against the Pentagon (analysis)
- WebProNews — U.S. court upholds DJI label
If you have questions or want deeper analysis (legal, national security, or consumer impact), leave a comment below.