The Biden administration has announced that it will investigate Chinese-manufactured “smart cars” capable of collecting sensitive information about U.S. drivers, citing potential threats to national security.
The Commerce Department is planning to investigate the potential threats from “connected vehicles” in nations such as China and others that are seen as unfriendly to the United States, according to a Feb. 29 announcement.
The inquiry may result in the implementation of fresh regulatory measures to prohibit China from employing advanced technology in electric vehicles and other purportedly connected automobiles to surveil drivers and their personal data.
Authorities are concerned that functionalities such as driver assistance technology might be exploited to monitor Americans. Although not a complete embargo on Chinese imports, President Joe Biden has declared that he is taking measures to protect their data.
The president said in a statement on Feb. 29 that the administration believes that China plans to use unfair practices to take a bigger stake in the auto market. He went on to assert that the vehicles could pose serious risks to national security.
“It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to think of how [a] foreign government with access to connected vehicles could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the personal privacy of U.S. citizens,” she said.
The United States now imports very few automobiles from China, in part because of the high tariffs that are imposed on these vehicles by the United States. However, authorities are worried that tariffs won’t be enough to solve the issue.
By establishing assembly operations in neighboring nations such as Mexico, some Chinese corporations seem to hope to evade U.S. tariffs.
“To assess these national security concerns, we are issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to investigate the national security risks of connected vehicles, specifically [People’s Republic of China]-manufactured technology in the vehicles,” Ms. Raimondo said.
“We need to understand the extent of the technology in these cars that can capture wide swaths of data or remotely disable or manipulate connected vehicles, so we are soliciting information to determine whether to take action.”
As Ms. Raimondo and other officials have stated, data collection isn’t the only concern. Remotely activating or manipulating linked cars is another potential threat.
According to the White House, the Commerce Department will conduct surveys of the public and the automotive sector and will consider possible rules to control the integration of technology into automobiles imported from countries of concern, including Iran and Russia, as well as China.
According to the White House, there are concerns about national security caused by the cars’ constant connectivity with personal gadgets, other vehicles, U.S. infrastructure, and their original manufacturer.
While Chinese automakers have been discouraged from joining the U.S. market by the high tariffs, U.S. authorities and industry executives are concerned that Chinese companies may opt to bear the increased costs as China increases its reliance on exports.
Chinese automakers are planning to increase their foreign production, with electric vehicle behemoth BYD announcing in 2023 that it will open a plant in Europe.
