The Biden administration is taking a swing at the Chinese vehicle industry with the news late last week that the Commerce Department will probe the national security implications of China-sourced vehicle tech that could pose national security concerns.
The Commerce Department’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) posted on Feb. 29 is seeking public comment “to inform the potential development of regulations to secure and safeguard the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) supply chain for connected vehicles (CVs),” the agency said.
“Most cars these days are ‘connected’ – they are like smart phones on wheels. These cars are connected to our phones, to navigation systems, to critical infrastructure, and to the companies that made them,” stated President Biden in a press briefing.
“Connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People’s Republic of China. These vehicles could be remotely accessed or disabled,” said President Biden.
The ANPRM will seek to explain how foreign supply chains for the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) supply chain for connected vehicles (CVs) can pose risks to U.S. security and how this technology can become an entry point for sensitive data.
“It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to think of how a foreign government with access to connected vehicles could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the personal privacy of U.S. citizens,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, who said her agency’s action is directed specifically to Chinese-made vehicle technology.
“We need to understand the extent of the technology in these cars that can capture wide swaths of data or remotely disable or manipulate connected vehicles, so we are soliciting information to determine whether to take action under our ICTS authorities,” she said.
“The ANPRM explains how the incorporation of foreign adversary ICTS in CVs can create risks, for example, by offering a direct entry point to sensitive U.S. technology and data or by bypassing measures intended to protect U.S. persons’ safety and security,” the Commerce Department said.
“In such cases, ICTS provided by persons or entities owned, controlled, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary may pose undue risks to critical infrastructure in the United States and unacceptable risks to national security,” the agency said. “The People’s Republic of China presents a particularly acute and persistent threat to the U.S. ICTS supply chain related to CVs.”
