Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Chinese company making camera drones, gimbals and action cameras.
There's no proof DJI pays more than the legal minimum, which in China and Malaysia is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
Other TV and audio brands
Nothing we've rated in TV and audio is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent DJI? Send a right of reply.
Compare DJI with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in China and Malaysia, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From press and retailer reports. DJI makes its products in its own factories, but we haven't recorded its countries from it yet.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malaysia | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes DJI makes its products in its own factories in Shenzhen, China, and in Malaysia, with no country shares disclosed. It says retailer audits found no forced labour and cites ISO 45001 safety certification, but publishes no supplier list, audit results, modern slavery statement or living wage commitment, and is not an RBA member.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| US forced-labour import bans (UFLPA Entity List, CBP Withhold Release Orders) | Not listed | DJI is not on the US UFLPA Entity List, though some shipments were held by US customs in 2024. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- US Customs and Border Protection held some DJI drone shipments in 2024 under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act; DJI called the claim unfounded, said it has no factories or sourcing in Xinjiang and supplied documents to customs (Reuters via DroneLife, 2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- DJI Technology (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · No supply chain labour allegations recorded against DJI
- Who Owns DJI And Where Are Its Drones Made? (SlashGear) · search the archive · DJI runs its own manufacturing in Shenzhen and also builds drones in Malaysia
- What We Know About the DJI Customs Issue (DroneLife, 2024) · search the archive · CBP held some DJI shipments under UFLPA; DJI denies Xinjiang links and is not on the Entity List
- Navigating U.S. Customs: DJI's commitment to ethical production (sUAS News, 2024) · search the archive · DJI says retailer audits found no forced labour; cites ISO 45001; manufactures in Shenzhen and Malaysia
Company details
- Headquarters
- China
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is DJI ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/dji, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent DJI.