In a new post on the Covington Inside Tech Media Blog, our colleagues discuss how the pandemic is driving connected and automated vehicle (CAV) initiatives at the federal and state levels. At the federal level, NHTSA and Congress have recently expressed support for utilizing CAV technology to address pandemic-related challenges. In California, a privacy bill
NHTSA
GAO Releases New Vehicle Data Privacy Report
On August 28, 2017, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) publicly released a report regarding consumer privacy issues associated with the rapidly increasing number of cars that are “connected”—i.e., capable of wirelessly monitoring, collecting, and transmitting information about their internal and external environments. The report examines four key issues: (1) the types of data collected by connected cars and transmitted to selected automakers, and how such automakers use and share such data; (2) the extent to which selected automakers’ privacy policies are in line with established privacy best practices; (3) selected experts’ views on privacy issues related to connected cars; and (4) federal roles and efforts related to consumer privacy and connected cars.
Process
The GAO turned to a variety of resources to explore the four identified issues. For starters, the GAO conducted a series of interviews with relevant industry associations, organizations that work with consumer privacy issues, and a sample of sixteen automakers (thirteen of which offered connected vehicles) based on their vehicle sales in the U.S. In addition, the GAO analyzed selected automakers’ privacy policies and compared them to privacy frameworks developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) as well as the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”). Finally, the GAO consulted relevant sources (e.g., federal statutes, regulations, and reports) and interviewed agency officials, including those from the Department of Transportation (“DOT”), the FTC, and the Department of Commerce.
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FTC Announces June Workshop on Connected and Automated Cars
The FTC announced today that it will hold a joint workshop on June 28, 2017 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to “examine the consumer privacy and security issues posed by automated and connected motor vehicles.” The announcement lists several discussion topics for the upcoming workshop:
- the types of data vehicles with wireless
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NHTSA Releases Proposed Cybersecurity Guidance for the Automotive Industry and Solicits Public Comment
On October 24, 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) announced the release of Cybersecurity Best Practices for Modern Vehicles, a non-binding, proposed guidance document designed to assist the automotive industry in improving motor vehicle cybersecurity and mitigating threats to safety.
The guidance is intended to apply broadly to “all individuals and organizations manufacturing and designing vehicle systems and software,” including entities that design, supply, manufacture, alter or modify motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment. The voluntary best practices described in the guidance are intended to “provide a solid foundation for developing a risk-based approach” to mitigating cybersecurity risks throughout the automotive industry.…