The data privacy concerns arising from the rise of internet-connected vehicles have spurned lawmakers into action. Regulators and legislators are particularly concerned with how the automotive industry is handling data privacy violations, including the potential for stalking. Industry-wide, the demands for increased transparency and regulation in data-sharing practices are growing. In response, several states have recently reintroduced new legislation in an attempt to rein in the unchecked progression of in-car surveillance technology.
These bills focus on the vast amount of data that can be collected by connected vehicles. This can include telematics, or real-time information about the car’s performance or condition, location data, and data collected from cameras both inside and outside the vehicle. Some legislators feel that the industry is not doing enough to protect private data collected from drivers, and thus regulatory oversight is required.
Notably, lawmakers in a handful of states, such as New Jersey, Tennessee, New York, and California, have either passed or introduced bills in the past six months. These measures aim at tightening controls over in-car surveillance technologies and mitigating the documented risks these present to drivers’ privacy.
As our cars become more integrated with the internet and capable of collecting complex data sets, it’s more important than ever that our laws reflect the evolving understanding of data privacy. It’s crucial that the data collected by these vehicles is used responsibly, and these new laws seek to ensure that the industry follows this principle.
For more detailed examination of this issue, visit this Bloomberg Law report.