WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) urges the Biden administration to ban all internet-connected vehicles in China and smart vehicle technology designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied in China. I'm asking you to. Connected cars (both those with internal combustion engines and electric vehicles) collect a variety of sensitive information, including biometric data such as fingerprints and voice recordings, vehicle location, sensor data and images, financial information, vehicle information, and more. Send and save. Chinese-made vehicles and their underlying technology give the Chinese Communist Party access to sensitive personal data of Americans and critical U.S. infrastructure, posing an unacceptable national security risk.
Mr. Brown is urging the government to act before Chinese-made connected cars become widespread in the United States, and submitted this public comment letter to the Department of Commerce, which is working to finalize connected car rules.
“Given that connected cars have access to and information about both Americans' sensitive personal data and America's infrastructure, rulemaking that includes a ban on complete vehicles and technology designed, developed, manufactured, and sourced from the United States. We recommend issuing a notice of proposal. People's Republic of China (PRC). Given China's civil-military fusion, it is inevitable that both vehicles and technology will give the Chinese Communist Party access to sensitive personal data of American citizens and critical American infrastructure. ” said Brown.
Mr. Brown is leading efforts to stop China from infiltrating the U.S. auto industry. In a letter to President Biden last month, Brown said: called It calls for the United States to ban Chinese-made electric vehicles to counter the economic and national security threat posed by Chinese automakers. Last week he also slammed The Biden administration's decision to grant electric vehicle tax credits for vehicles manufactured using key battery components made in China. he also pressed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called for ensuring that taxpayer money under the 45x Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit goes to Chinese companies that assemble parts in the United States.
Full text of the letter is available here below:
Executive Director, Mr. Cannon:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Department of Commerce's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANRPM) on Connected Vehicles. This ANRPM is an important step toward addressing the national security threats posed by connected vehicles and related technologies. Connected vehicles are an essential means of personal and commercial transportation that allows Americans to drive to work, to medical appointments, and to carry out daily activities, but the underlying technology that powers these vehicles is It also poses security risks. Given that connected cars have access to and information about both Americans' sensitive personal data and America's infrastructure, rulemaking that includes a ban on complete vehicles and technology designed, developed, manufactured, or sourced from the United States. We recommend issuing a notice of proposal. People's Republic of China (PRC). Given China's civil-military fusion, it is inevitable that both vehicles and technology will give the Chinese Communist Party access to sensitive personal data of American citizens and critical American infrastructure.
In a Feb. 29 statement on addressing national security risks to the U.S. auto industry, President Biden described connected cars as “smartphones on wheels” and said, “These cars are our Phones, navigation systems, critical infrastructure, and even the companies that make them. China's connected cars can collect sensitive data about its people and its infrastructure, and send that data back to China remotely. They can be accessed or disabled.'' He also said that China has imposed restrictions on American cars operating in China, adding, “Why are connected cars coming from China without safeguards? Should they be allowed to drive in our country?'' he asked an important question.
The answer is that connected cars made in China, and vehicles that use hardware and software designed or manufactured in China, should not be allowed to drive in the United States without clear and extensive safeguards. is.
Connected cars collect, transmit, and store a variety of sensitive information, including biometric data such as fingerprints and voice recordings, vehicle location, sensor data and images, financial information, and vehicle information. If used properly, this information would provide American families with safer, more fuel-efficient cars, reduce traffic congestion, and reduce the number of traffic accidents. But this same technology and information can also be used by nations to protect themselves, whether it's backdoors that allow remote access or disabling of vehicles, or information and data that could be misused to harm American families. It also poses security risks. Some connected vehicles are connected to charging stations and can be targeted by malicious attackers, potentially impacting vehicle performance and power grid infrastructure.
ANRPM notes that China poses a “particularly serious and persistent threat to the U.S. information and communications technology and services supply chain,” and raises concerns about China's inclusion of information and communications technologies and services (ICTS). It provides an overview of China's legal structure. ) and data access in connected cars. China's National Security Law of 2015, National Intelligence Law of 2017, and Data Protection Law of 2021 allow the Chinese government to access personal data, such as data collected by connected cars, and give China-based companies access to Chinese intelligence agencies. cooperation can be forced. security services. As a result, Chinese companies become tools of China's military and intelligence services. Concerns about this legal structure and China's access to Americans' sensitive personal data have increased from updates to the U.S. Investment Review Act, such as the Protecting Americans' Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024, passed last week. This is what prompted recent Congressional action, leading to legislation.
This rulemaking provides an important opportunity for the Information and Communications Technology Services Administration to establish rules that recognize and address the national security threats posed by China's advanced technology and access to sensitive data. We have carefully considered the public comments submitted during this ANRPM comment period and are taking the next step in this rulemaking process by issuing an NPRM that addresses the unacceptable risks posed by China's vehicles, information and communications technologies, and services. We recommend moving through the stages at a deliberate speed. Designed, developed, manufactured, or sourced from China that allows the Chinese Communist Party to access sensitive personal data or U.S. infrastructure.
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