Keeping that old beater is looking better and better after a new warning from the U.S. government.
The United States is looking to ban Chinese-made software from cars because of national security concerns, the Commerce Department announced on Monday.
“Cars today have cameras, microphones, GPS tracking, and other technologies connected to the internet. It doesn’t take much imagination to understand how a foreign adversary with access to this information could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the privacy of U.S. citizens,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
She continued, “To address these national security concerns, the Commerce Department is taking targeted, proactive steps to keep (Chinese) and Russian-manufactured technologies off American roads.”
The concern is the software could be exploited by malicious Chinese actors, and in some cases “allow for external connectivity and autonomous driving capabilities in connected vehicles,” the Commerce Department says.
The proposed rule would apply to all wheeled on-road vehicles such as cars, trucks and buses, but would exclude vehicles not used on public roads, like agricultural or mining vehicles. It would take effect in 2027 models and be fully integrated in 2030 models.
The rule also bans technology with a nexus to China or Russia, even if the vehicle was made in the United States.