On May 15th (local time), U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced plans to introduce regulations on Chinese-made connected vehicles this fall.
According to Reuters, Secretary Raimondo stated this during her appearance before a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee, emphasizing that “the risk to national security is significant.”
Secretary Raimondo suggested that the U.S. could take drastic measures, such as banning or restricting Chinese-made connected vehicles. In February 2024, President Joe Biden instructed the Commerce Department to investigate the potential risks of vehicle hacking or data leakage when using technology from China and other countries of concern in connected vehicles.
Secretary Raimondo emphasized that the danger posed by Chinese-manufactured smart cars is comparable to that of TikTok. She said, “There are thousands of sensors and chips in a connected car. Chinese cars are equipped with software that China provides. They can know where the driver is going, what the driving pattern is, what the driver is doing, and even what is being said in the car.” She added, “A lot of data about Americans could go to China.”
Connected vehicles, also known as smart cars, share data with internal and external devices via wireless networks, providing features such as navigation, autonomous driving, and driver assistance systems.
Last week, Secretary Raimondo revealed in an interview with Reuters that she is considering measures, including a ban on the import of Chinese-made connected vehicles.
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