Public Knowledge Responds to Department of Transportation’s Connected Vehicles Proposal
Public Knowledge Responds to Department of Transportation’s Connected Vehicles Proposal
Public Knowledge Responds to Department of Transportation’s Connected Vehicles Proposal

    Get Involved Today

    Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a proposal mandating vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications technology on all new light-duty vehicles. This V2V technology would require automobile manufacturers selling cars in the United States to use dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), a technology which poses cybersecurity and privacy risks yet to be addressed by any government agency. Public Knowledge will file comments on behalf of consumers in this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

    The following can be attributed to John Gasparini, Policy Fellow at Public Knowledge:

    “We are encouraged that NHTSA is taking the concerns raised by our petition seriously, and is asking essential questions about privacy, cybersecurity, and the potential negative impacts of DSRC as it moves forward with its mandate. These are critical concerns, and we look forward to engaging with NHTSA, alongside a broad coalition of public interest advocates and stakeholders, to ensure that these concerns are addressed in a substantive manner as this process moves forward.

    “NHTSA’s silence on issues relating to non-safety applications using DSRC hardware and spectrum, however, speaks to the agency’s tacit admission that it lacks authority to comprehensively address issues relating to the DSRC service. The NPRM does not examine the grave threat posed by connecting secure DSRC technology to the demonstrably insecure modern car, nor to the broader internet and all the threats it contains.

    “NHTSA’s failure or inability to act underscores the importance of the FCC addressing our petition in an expeditious manner. Commercialization of this public safety service, and the threats to privacy and cybersecurity that that entails, must be addressed.”

    You can read more about DSRC vulnerabilities here.

    Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.