US regulators are going after the network of companies that have allegedly helped Chinese drone giant DJI keep selling its products in America despite a federal crackdown on foreign-made drones.
According to The Verge, the Federal Communications Commission is moving against DJI technology that has been slipping past the foreign drone ban. The report points to two firms in particular. One, called Xtra, is described as a company that lets DJI "sneak" its popular cameras into the US. The other, Skyrover, is characterized as a brand that appears to be selling DJI drones in disguise.
The Verge says these are just two of many firms that DJI is suspected of using as fronts, and its coverage also references a third name, SGS Lab. The outlet notes it had reported on Xtra and Skyrover last year, framing the current FCC action as a fresh escalation.
DJI is one of the world's best-known makers of consumer drones and compact cameras, including devices like the Osmo Pocket 3. Regulatory pressure in the US has increasingly targeted the company on national-security grounds, and the alleged use of intermediary brands is one way its hardware has continued to reach American shelves.
Why it matters: if the FCC succeeds in shutting down these alleged front companies, it could cut off one of the last easy routes for American buyers to get DJI gear, reshaping the US market for drones and portable cameras.