The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing the manufacturers producing most vehicles sold in the United States, wrote to Congressional leaders with a legislative proposal to prevent the misuse of connected vehicle services to stalk or harass survivors of domestic violence.
In observance of National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, the legislation specifically covers connected vehicle services – not currently covered by the Safe Connections Act of 2022, which regulates mobile/cellular telephone plans.
In a letter to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, automakers said the legislation was:
“…developed by industry with the input and guidance of three influential domestic violence advocacy organizations [and] would enable survivors to quickly terminate or disable an abuser’s access to a vehicle’s connected services, even if the abuser is the account holder.”
The Federal Communications Commission is currently examining “how the agency can use existing law to ensure car manufacturers and wireless service providers are taking steps to assist abuse victims…”
In January, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation wrote to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel indicating:
“…the Safe Connections Act (SCA) does not currently apply” to connected vehicle services in [domestic abuse] circumstances because automakers “…do not maintain call records, nor do they provide customer-facing call logs” adding “…in-vehicle connectivity offerings fall outside… the purview of the SCA and the problems associated with shared mobile service contracts that the SCA seeks to address.”
Developed with organizations dedicated to supporting domestic violence survivors, Alliance for Automotive Innovation urges swift Congressional enactment of a “vehicle-specific law” to protect individuals from stalking and harassment through the intentional misuse of connected vehicle technology.
Published December 2024
