The secretive backers of a Massachusetts effort to open consumer vehicle data to strangers, hackers and criminals used their annual conference in Las Vegas this week to continue their misinformation campaign.
“Just like they hide behind independent repair shops in Massachusetts, these political groups are hiding behind racecar drivers and phony anecdotes in Vegas to try and fool the public about who really backs this effort,” said Conor Yunits, spokesperson for the Coalition for Safe and Secure Data. “Make no mistake – this proposal risks handing your information over to shady groups and bad actors all over the world. It will create real personal safety, data privacy and cybersecurity threats for everyone in Massachusetts, while doing absolutely nothing to improve the consumer experience.”
The consumer data grab proposal has been filed both as legislation and as a potential 2020 ballot question in Massachusetts. Backers have until November 20, 2019 to gather the more than 81,000 signatures needed to put the question on the ballot. The Coalition for Safe and Secure Data was formed to stop the misinformation campaign being waged by lobbyists in Massachusetts and their national political funders who are determined to undermine existing laws and protections.