Cybersecurity Policy Report, Bicameral Legislation Would Restrict Automakers’ Use of Vehicle Data, (Dec 19, 2024)
Automakers would be barred from accessing or selling data generated by motor vehicles without the vehicle owner’s consent under legislation introduced in the House and Senate.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R., Mo.) introduced the House version of the Auto Data Privacy and Autonomy Act (H.R. 10473, 118th Cong. (2024)), while Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah) is sponsoring the Senate version (S.B. 5579, 118th Cong. (2024)).
“The bill ensures consumers maintain control over the data generated by their automobiles, prohibits unauthorized data sharing, and strengthens safeguards against misuse by manufacturers and foreign entities,” the lawmakers said in a news release.
The legislation would bar automakers from accessing data from motor vehicles without the owner’s written consent. It would give vehicle owners the right to access data generated by their vehicles and to delete it.
Automakers would also be prohibited from sharing data generated by vehicles with third parties except in response to a court order or “to facilitate an emergency response,” according to the text of the legislation. Sharing data with entities in adversarial foreign nations would be banned under the legislation.
The House bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs (R., Ariz.), and the Senate bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.).
“Americans shouldn’t have to trade their privacy for convenience when driving their cars,” Rep. Burlison said. “This legislation prioritizes the rights of consumers, safeguarding their sensitive personal information from exploitation.”
“Ownership should mean control,” Sen. Lee said. “Americans deserve to decide who has access to their personal data and how it is used—whether they are driving to work, harvesting crops, or operating machinery on a construction site. This bill empowers individuals to regain control of their vehicle data and restores transparency to a system that has left too many in the dark.”
The lawmakers cited a study by the Mozilla Foundation that found that most vehicles don’t allow drivers to control their own data because automakers make billions of dollars by selling the data.
The legislation would be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. It was endorsed by the National Association of Fleet Administrators and the American Car Rental Association.
News: DataPrivacy FederalLegislation