Ο Joe Biden warned that the Chinese cars could pose a threat to US national security and that they may be used for theft of sensitive data of US citizens and critical infrastructure.
The White House announced that it will conduct an investigation into the "connected vehicles" with technology from China and their impact on the national Security of the USA.
“I have instructed the Secretary of Commerce to conduct Research for connected Vehicles with technology from "dangerous countries" and take action to respond to the risks", Biden said.
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As the statement says, most cars today are connected to other systems, such as phones, navigation systems, critical infrastructure and the companies that built them.
Modern technology in Chinese and many other cars makes them 'smart'. This means they can collect, store and analyse data by the driver and their driving style.
Biden: Chinese cars collect data and threaten national security
The data collected may include information about the site, driving habits, energy preferences and fuel consumption, as well as personal information such as the driver's address, frequently visited locations and contacts.
If this data is leaked there could be serious implications for the privacy of US citizens. In addition, if car manufacturers or their service providers have a direct Accessed at to these data, they may use them for commercial purposes or sell them to third parties.
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As the announcement says, "connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data for our citizens and our infrastructure and send them back to the People's Republic of China“.
There is still concern that someone could have access to these cars remotely.
According to Biden, China is engaging in unfair practices to dominate the car market, bringing many of the vehicles in the USA. However, the Asian country imposes restrictions on American cars and vehicles from other countries that are shipped there. Therefore, the US president wonders why he should not do the same. "Why should connected vehicles from China be allowed to operate in our country without safeguards?“.
It is worth noting that the announcement of the investigation into Chinese cars comes after a another decree signed by Biden, which prohibits the bulk sale or transfer of Americans' personal data to countries such as China, Russia, Iran, the North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.
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“Our adversaries are exploiting Americans' sensitive personal data to threaten our national security Security. They buy this data to blackmail and track individuals, target those they consider dissidents here in the United States, and carry out other malicious activities.", Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said recently.
Source : www.infosecurity-magazine.com
