– The Biden administration has announced plans to investigate Chinese-made “smart cars” capable of collecting sensitive information on American drivers due to potential national security concerns.

Possible reworded text: The investigation may result in the creation of additional rules to restrict China’s use of advanced technology in electric and connected vehicles to monitor drivers and collect their private data. Government officials are worried that functionalities like driver assistance could potentially be exploited to conduct surveillance on people in the United States.

Although not a complete prohibition of Chinese imports, President Joe Biden has declared that he is implementing unprecedented measures to protect American data.

On Thursday, President Biden released a statement expressing his determination to prevent China from dominating the auto market through their use unfair practices. He believes that their policies could result in an influx of Chinese vehicles into the US market, which could compromise our national security. He is committed to preventing this from happening during his time in office.

Biden and other government officials pointed out that China has enforced broad limitations on American automobiles and other imported cars.

Gina Raimondo, the Secretary of Commerce, stated that connected vehicles are comparable to smartphones on wheels and present a significant threat to national security.

“These cars are linked to the web and gather significant quantities of confidential information about their drivers, such as personal and biometric data, and the cars’ locations,” said the speaker during a press conference on Wednesday evening. “One can easily envision the potential dangers to our national security and the privacy of American citizens if a foreign opponent, like China, gains access to such vast amounts of data.”

Collecting data is not the sole issue, according to her and other officials. The use of connected vehicles could also be susceptible to remote control or tampering by malicious individuals.

Raimondo expressed concern about the potential cyber and espionage threats posed by a large number of Chinese-linked vehicles on American roads. She described the scenario of someone in Beijing being able to remotely and instantly disable thousands of these vehicles as frightening.

Currently, only a small number of Chinese automobiles are brought into the United States due to high tariffs imposed by the U.S. on vehicles imported from China. However, there is still concern that these tariffs are not enough to solve the issue. To skirt around these tariffs, certain Chinese companies are looking to establish assembly plants in nearby countries like Mexico.

The Commerce Department has announced a new plan on Thursday which includes issuing an advanced proposal to investigate the potential security threats of “connected vehicles” from China and other countries that are seen as enemies of the United States.

The White House announced that the Commerce Department will gather information from the automotive industry and the public regarding potential risks and ways to address them. This will lead to the creation of regulations governing the use of technology in vehicles from countries such as China, Russia, and Iran.

Raimondo stated that we must take action now to prevent the widespread use of Chinese vehicles in the US, as it could jeopardize our privacy and national security.

Biden’s executive orders to safeguard domestic information and communications technology from security risks have prompted the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security to launch an investigation, marking their first action in this effort.

According to the White House, electric and conventional vehicles are becoming more dependent on sophisticated technologies for navigation, driver assistance, cost reduction, and decreased carbon emissions from rapid charging. These vehicles are continuously communicating with personal devices, other cars, U.S. infrastructure, and their original makers, which presents potential national security threats.

The White House stated that if a foreign government were to gain access to the systems or data of connected automobiles, new vulnerabilities and threats could emerge.

The implementation of substantial tariffs by both the Trump and Biden administrations has successfully prevented Chinese car manufacturers from venturing into the U.S. market. However, American officials and industry experts express concern that Chinese companies might opt to bear the added expenses as China increasingly relies on exportation. As a result, Chinese car makers are seeking to establish production facilities abroad, with electric vehicle leader BYD revealing intentions in 2020 to construct its initial European factory.

According to Ford’s CEO Jim Farley, his company and others may face difficulties in competing with Chinese automakers in the field of electric vehicles. This is because Chinese automakers, who previously had no presence in the European EV market, now hold about 10% of the market share.

President of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, John Bozzella, expressed concern that proposed U.S. environmental regulations could potentially give China a greater presence in America’s electric vehicle battery supply chain and potentially impact the automotive market.

Last year, the European Union launched a trade inquiry into the Chinese government’s financial support for electric vehicle imports due to growing concerns over their increasing influx. The inquiry is currently still underway.

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This story was contributed to by Associated Press writers Josh Boak in Washington and Tom Krisher in Detroit.

Source: wral.com