/ The rebranding loophole may finally close.
Liam Ortiz is a tech journalist who covers AI related big tech and breaking news at TheTweaks. Before joining TheTweaks he worked for almost four years in corporate and national tech news in different companies. Few are quick but Liam is quicker, he breaks news before anyone else and that makes her special. His passion is somewhere connected with profession as his hobby is watching documentary movies.
If you got yourself a “cheap knock-off” drone by a brand you’d never heard of before – Cogito, WaveGo, or maybe even XAG – sure that you found the perfect workaround for the DJI ban, you may want to rethink your strategy. The Federal Communications Commission has released a new proposal, which would ban import and sale of products manufactured by nine companies considered nothing but rebranded DJI hardware.
According to the latest FCC statement, Cogito, Fikaxo, Lyno Dynamics, Skyhigh Tech, Spatial Hover, SZ Knowact, WaveGo, Xtra and XAG are selling equipment functionally identical to the DJI drones and cameras but with a different name tag. The FCC calls such behavior an “unacceptable risk” to US national security, which should stop right now.
This is the part of the story that is missing in most news stories: this is not about DJI. This is a story about a work-around developed by several small brands trying to bypass the DJI ban by manufacturing their own version of DJI technology under different names.
As we previously reported, when the FCC decided to add all foreign-made drones to the Covered List in December 2025, it practically banned DJI from producing any new products to be imported into the USA. The problem is that this rule concerned only new models; the already authorized products could still continue functioning. Thus, older drones could be sold under new labels.
It’s exactly what, according to the FCC, these nine companies have been doing. They are allegedly using existing DJI technology and then rebranding and selling it to unsuspecting US customers.
This crackdown was not implemented instantly. Just a week ago the FCC had announced the plans to impose $25,000 fines on these companies for ignoring the agency’s inquiries concerning the true nature of their products.
It’s quite telling how quickly the FCC went from fines to banning import and sales: it clearly signals that this agency has had enough of being polite.
What is important to remember about this case is the retrospective power of the FCC. In October 2025 the FCC voted to gain the power to ban the devices made by companies from the Covered List even after they had already been cleared for use.
Until today this power was never implemented and used, but this proposed ban may be seen as a first test case: the result of it will determine how this power will be used in similar cases in the future.
DJI has been denying the national security concerns from the beginning. The company insists that there is no solid evidence about security risks related to its technology and that FCC’s moves can be interpreted as a protectionist action aimed to hinder a market leader.
For now, the FCC is proposing a ban. However, this ban has not been approved. As usual, the FCC has opened a public comment window for 30 days. During this period anyone interested (consumers, industry representatives, researchers, etc.) can present concrete evidence that these nine companies indeed produce rebranded DJI products.
So, the ban has not been approved yet, but given FCC’s newly acquired power of retrospectively banning products, it seems rather unlikely.
As for regular consumers, the issue is quite simple: if this proposal is approved, drones and cameras produced by these nine brands will instantly become illegal to import and sell in the USA.
From the TheTweaks POV, thestory is not just about DJI and it’s not just another story in the long list of FCC actions. This case will be a first test of the power of FCC’s recently voted upon retroactive capability. And it doesn’t look like it’s the last one. If the ban goes through, it will become FCC’s standard tool of fighting “rebranded Chinese technology”. For consumers, this means that some of their cheap drones may suddenly become illegal to resell and purchase spare parts for. Our advice: pay attention to the 30-day comment period because this ruling may become a precedent that will change how the USA deals with rebranded Chinese electronics for years to come.
Tim Cook’s 15 years as Apple’s chief executive officially ended on September 1 and now the torch has been passed on to John Ternus, who is the company’s long-time hardware. It’s Apple’s first leadership change…
Be respectful and constructive. Have a question or feedback? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at contact@thetweaks.com