Rhode Island legislators are evaluating a piece of proposed legislation that would attempt to protect data privacy and security for vehicle owners whose cars are equipped with telematics systems.
State Senate majority leader Dominick Ruggerio introduced Senate Bill 2055 earlier this year, spurred by a perceived lack of security and lack of consumer controls over the use of vehicle data. According to the language of the bill:
“Today, consumers lack complete access to their own vehicle information and have limited ability to transmit their vehicle information from their motor vehicle to service providers of their choice. While some in the industry have made commitments to transparency, consumers still are not provided with information on their right to choose a service provider to access and analyze such data.”
If the bill were to become law, beginning in 2019 OEMs would be required to make data available in a non-proprietary format, and provide owners the ability to securely transmit the data to any recipient at no cost – including aftermarket repair shops and other entities.
It would also prevent OEMs from downloading or transmitting the data without the consent of the owner. Automakers could retrieve the data without consent provided that they do not release or disclose the information to anyone other than the owner. Data could also be downloaded for emergency services, for diagnoses and repair upon request of the owner, for research purposes, or in response to a court order.
Ruggerio, a Democrat, introduced similar legislation last year. The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) submitted a letter at that time supporting the basic idea of the legislation, but cautioned against unintended consequences of the bill.
According to that letter: “MEMA and AASA [Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association] are working closely with all parties to create an open access solution that provides the vehicle owner with control and ownership over telematics system data. Until these issues have been fully identified and resolved with input from industry and consumer stakeholders, MEMA and AASA believe it is premature to adopt any legislation.”
Similar legislation was proposed in California two years ago. In the U.S. Senate, Massachusetts Democrat Edward Markey has been pushing for security and privacy legislation that would govern vehicle data, as well launching an investigation into vehicle-based cyber security threats. Last year, Markey and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal also proposed legislation that would establish federal standards to secure vehicle information systems and protect driver privacy.
The bill has been referred to the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee.
You can see the full text of the bill here: http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/billtext16/senatetext16/s2055.htm
