The ban could also later be extended to vehicle software & hardware produced in Russia and other US adversaries.
According to media reports, the US Commerce Department recently proposed a ban on key Chinese ‘Connected car’ software & hardware on American roads. The proposal is reportedly due to concerns over national security.
Reports state that President Joe Biden’s administration raised concerns over data collection of US drivers and infrastructure by the connected car tech in Chinese vehicles. As per the proposal, the ban would prevent Chinese automakers from testing self-driving cars on US roads. The ban could also later be extended to vehicle software & hardware produced in Russia and other US adversaries. Once the proposal is approved, it would make software prohibitions effective on all models from 2027. The ban on hardware would come into effect in January 2029 or on 2030 Model Year vehicles. The proposal is said to cover all on-road vehicles, with the exception of agricultural & mining vehicles, as well as drones & trains.
Gina Raimondo, Commerce Secretary, stated, “When foreign adversaries build software to make a vehicle, that means it can be used for surveillance, can be remotely controlled, which threatens the privacy and safety of Americans on the road.” She further added, “In an extreme situation, a foreign adversary could shut down or take control of all their vehicles operating in the United States, all at the same time causing crashes, blocking roads.”
The commerce department, though, did mention that the rule would amount to a ban on all vehicles manufactured in China. However, Chinese automakers will be allowed to seek “specific authorisations” for exemptions. Liz Cannon, Head of the Commerce Department’s Information & Communications Technology Office, stated, “We anticipate at this point that any vehicle that is manufactured in China and sold in the U.S. would fall within the prohibitions.”
Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, stated, “With potentially millions of vehicles on the road, each with 10- to 15-year lifespans, the risk of disruption and sabotage increases dramatically.”
In response, Lin Jian, Spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, urged Washington “to respect market principles and provide Chinese companies with an open, fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment. China will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”
Source: Reuters
This post was originally published on here
