CONGRESSMAN LIEU INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN SPY CAR STUDY ACT TO HELP ENSURE SAFE AUTOMOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) introduces The Security and Privacy in Your Car Study Act of 2015 a.k.a. The Spy Car Study Act. Mr. Lieu is the Democratic lead on the legislation that would require the National Highway Safety Transportation Commission to conduct a 1 year study, consulting with the Federal Trade Commission, National Institutes of Standards and Technology, the Department of Defense, industry leaders and higher education institutions to recommend a framework for regulating car automotive software (e.g. diagnostic systems, navigation and entertainment systems) safety, cybersecurity and privacy regulations. Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) is the Republican sponsor of the legislation.

"Americans have a right to drive cars that are safe and protected from hackers. Frankly, without adequate protections, a hacker could turn a car into a weapon. The SPY Car Study Act is a first step in bringing industry, advocates and government together to strike a balance between innovation and consumer protection to ensure that car navigation, entertainment and operating systems are safe and the data gleaned from such systems kept private. The Internet of Things (IOT), brings technology and connectivity into every corner of our lives, including our cars. However, with the pervasiveness of technology, cybersecurity standards and privacy protections become more important than ever."

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Congressman Lieu is one of four computer science majors serving in the House. He is a Co-Chair of the Cloud Computing Caucus and a member of the Internet of Things Caucus.

Recent WIRED magazine revelations that a Jeep's UConnect entertainment and operating system could be hacked and the engines disabled remotely while on the freeway demonstrates the need for reasonable safety standards to protect the public. Further, several companies' recent changes to their terms of service to allow them to sell user data collected from navigation and entertainment systems has called into question the security and privacy of every American driving a car today.

The full text of the legislation can be found here

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