The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the 16th said it will permit
imports and US sales of Chinese-made toy drones that meet narrow technical
specifications. Refinitiv reported the move partially reverses a December FCC
prohibition that barred new foreign drones and key components as posing an
'unacceptable risk' to US national security and had targeted DJI and Autel. The
US Department of Defense, after review, judged low-tech toy-class models do not
constitute a national security threat. Allowed devices must weigh no more than
150 grams, operate within visual line of sight and within 100 meters, have no
network or online connectivity, carry no camera or sensors capable of monitoring
or data collection, and have a maximum single-flight time of 10 minutes. Models
exceeding these limits remain subject to the existing ban.
