Commerce Dept. to launch probe on China-made connected cars

The Commerce Department is going to open an investigation into the national security risks posed by connected vehicles and similar technologies that are made in China and other countries of concern, CyberScoop reports.

The investigation reflects growing concern within the Biden administration that countries like China could exploit navigation data. "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... [and they] could be remotely accessed or disabled,” President Joe Biden said in a statement ahead of the release. No regulatory action, like bans on products from certain countries or organizations, is currently underway. However, the Commerce Department is soliciting public comments as it considers implementation. The call for ideas seeks to further explore the definition of connected cars, what equipment is important for operations, relationships between manufacturers and suppliers, potential risks and mitigations, and current bug bounties.