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Legal
Explore the legal aspects of drone technology. Stay informed on regulations, laws, and legal cases involving drones.
DJI Urges U.S. Government To Complete Security Review As Retroactive Ban Powers Take Effect
DJI issued its first official statement to DroneXL following the FCC’s unanimous vote earlier this week, warning that the company faces automatic addition to the agency’s Covered List in 55 days—potentially triggering retroactive bans that could affect recently released drones,…
Canada’s First Anti-Drone Prison Task Force Cuts Contraband Drops 50% in Nine Months
A basketball stuffed with tobacco and cellphones. Ceramic knives that slip past metal detectors. Drones equipped with deep-sea fishing release mechanisms. These are just some of the seized contraband items displayed by a groundbreaking joint task force in Kingston, Ontario—Canada’s…
DJI’s $400 Million Problem: Italy Investigates Drone Giant For Squeezing Retailers
A $400 million fine. Raids on retailer locations. Allegations of supply threats against independent dealers. While DJI battles U.S. security reviews, Italy just opened an investigation into the company’s alleged price-fixing scheme—and the evidence was seized from distributor offices last…
FCC Grants Itself Retroactive Power To Ban DJI Drones, Shell Companies Face December Deadline
The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 yesterday to grant itself unprecedented authority to retroactively ban equipment from companies on its Covered List, directly targeting DJI’s rapidly expanding network of shell companies ahead of a critical December 23 deadline. The FCC…
Get Your Ham, Save Your Bacon
In January 2024, I built a tiny FPV drone from spare parts I had lying around in a box. I wanted to add a small external Video Transmitter (VTX) that was a bit stronger than the stock unit. I managed…
Drone Surveillance Nets $300,000 Fine For California Homeowner Who Says He “Wasn’t Even Home”
A California homeowner faces a staggering $300,000 fine after a city drone recorded illegal fireworks at his property on July 4th—even though he insists he wasn’t there. The case, part of a nearly $1 million drone enforcement crackdown in Stanton,…
American Drone Hobby Faces Accessibility Crisis as Bans, Regulations, and Market Forces Converge
The United States drone hobby is under severe pressure from multiple directions simultaneously, threatening to transform the most accessible entry point into aviation into an increasingly expensive and restricted pursuit. While Canadian and European enthusiasts enjoy flourishing drone communities with…
Wisconsin Proposes Law Letting Police Shoot Down Drones Despite Federal Ban
Wisconsin lawmakers are circulating legislation that would authorize police to shoot down drones they deem threats to public safety—a move that directly contradicts federal law making it a felony to destroy any aircraft, including drones. The bill, coauthored by Rep.…
From Film Casting To Billion-Dollar Defense: Ukraine’s Fire Point Faces Corruption Probe As Drone Industry Matures
Three years ago, Fire Point was scouting locations for Ukrainian film productions. Today, it’s a $1 billion defense contractor producing long-range strike drones and cruise missiles that are pounding Russian infrastructure. But the company’s meteoric rise has triggered a corruption…
Chula Vista Ordered to Pay $500K in Legal Fees After Losing Landmark Police Drone Transparency Case
A San Diego judge has ordered the City of Chula Vista to pay over $500,000 in legal fees after losing a groundbreaking four-year legal battle over public access to police drone videos, delivering a costly lesson in transparency that could…
Illegal Drone Flights Surge in Yosemite as Government Shutdown Cripples Ranger Enforcement
Illegal drone activity is spiking across U.S. national parks as the federal government shutdown enters its 23rd day, with tour guides in Yosemite reporting multiple daily sightings compared to their normal rate of about one drone per week. The enforcement…
Wrap Technologies Launches First Drone System That Can Physically Restrain Suspects
Wrap Technologies has unveiled what it claims is the first commercially available non-lethal drone interdiction system in the United States. The DFR-X payload system, branded as the MERLIN-Interdictor, mounts the company’s BolaWrap tether technology onto drones—transforming passive observation platforms into…