Markey, Blumenthal Call on Transportation Department to Promote Vehicle Cybersecurity and Protect Occupants' Privacy

Statement

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, today called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure that robust cybersecurity and privacy protections are put in place before automakers deploy vehicle-2-vehicle and vehicle-2-infrastructure communication technologies. Today, the DOT released a proposed rule that may require new light-duty vehicles to have vehicle-2-vehicle communication technologies, which use communications technologies to share speed, direction data, and other transportation information to prevent accidents and reduce congestion.

"While these new technologies have the potential to save lives, security and privacy cannot be an afterthought in this new era of connected cars," said Senators Markey and Blumenthal. "If hackers access a vehicle's systems, privacy could be compromised, the safety of the vehicle could be put at risk and disaster could ensue. As this important rulemaking proceeds, we call on the Department of Transportation to ensure that vehicles have robust cybersecurity and privacy protections in place before automakers deploy vehicle-2-vehicle and vehicle-2-infrastructure communication technologies."

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