Skip to content

Discerning Data

  • About Us
  • Additional Resources
  • Contact Us

DISCERNING DATA

A Faegre Drinker Blog Covering the Latest in Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Strategy

  • Privacy
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Strategy
  • Disruptionware

Connected Cars in 2018 – Ready for the Fast Lane?

Share

One of the most frequent predictions for significant growth in 2018 is the development of the connected car ecosystem. During the second half of 2017, there were workshops, proposed legislation and other guidance from the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In June 2017, the FTC and the NHTSA hosted a workshop in Washington, D.C. to discuss the enormous amounts of data collected and used in the connected car ecosystem. The workshop included representatives from consumer groups, industry, government and academia, and explored the benefits and challenges in this fast-growing market. After reviewing the materials submitted in connection with the workshop, the FTC released its Key Takeaways earlier this month.

In addition, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3388, the SELF DRIVE (Safely Ensuring Lives Future Development and Research in Vehicle Evolution) Act to encourage testing, development and deployment of highly automated vehicles. Finally, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the NHTSA released new federal guidance for automated vehicles titled Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety.

The FTC Staff Perspective noted the following key takeaways:

  • Car manufacturers collect data for a variety of purposes.
  • Geolocation data to direct emergency personnel to the scene of a crash.
  • Infotainment systems use consumer data to access apps or contact information.
  • Third parties provide “dongles” that connect to ports in cars and collect and transmit consumer driving habits. Such data could be used for diagnostic purposes or could be of value to insurance companies.
  • The types of data collected range from aggregated data to sensitive personal data.
  • Aggregate data could be used for traffic management, while biometric data such as fingerprints or iris patterns could be used for authentication purposes.
  • Consumers may be concerned about the secondary, unexpected uses of the data.
  • Addressing privacy concerns is important to gain consumer acceptance.
  • Industry initiatives are underway to educate consumers. (Consumer Privacy Principles were jointly introduced by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and Global Automakers in 2014, and the National Automobile Dealers Association is partnering with the Future of Privacy Forum.)
  • Different approaches may be needed for different types of data and use.
  • Connected and autonomous vehicles will have cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Panelists identified some best practices for addressing some of the risks, including the following:
  • Information sharing with groups such as the Auto-ISAC, the International Organization for Standardization and the Society of Automotive Engineers could limit the extent to which vulnerabilities can be exploited.
  • Network design opportunities could be useful to protect safety-critical functions if they are segregated from other functions controlled through the network.
  • Disclose newly discovered vulnerabilities during development and after sale to mitigate such risks.
  • Continued efforts to establish standards for baseline security for connected cars, through industry self-regulation in connection with government standards and guidance such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

The FTC Staff Perspective highlights a number of key issues that we will continue to follow.

The material contained in this communication is informational, general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. The material contained in this communication should not be relied upon or used without consulting a lawyer to consider your specific circumstances. This communication was published on the date specified and may not include any changes in the topics, laws, rules or regulations covered. Receipt of this communication does not establish an attorney-client relationship. In some jurisdictions, this communication may be considered attorney advertising.

Receive Email Alerts to New Articles

SUBSCRIBE

January 29, 2018
Written by: Discerning Data Editorial Board
Category: FTC, Privacy
Tags: Biometrics, Connected Cars, Internet of Things, NHTSA

Post navigation

Previous Previous post: Recap of Our General Data Protection Regulation Webinar Series
Next Next post: Partnership for Public Service Releases White Paper on Using Artificial Intelligence to Transform Government

Search the Blog

Sign Up for Email Alerts

PODCASTS

Faegre Drinker on Law and Technology

©2023 Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. All Rights Reserved. Lawyer Advertising.

  • About Us
  • Additional Resources
  • Contact Us
We use cookies to improve your experience with our website. By browsing our site, you are agreeing to the use of cookies. For more information about how we use cookies, please review our privacy policy and cookie policy. OK
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT