Biden right to propose ban on invasive, foreign car tech

As our lives become more digitized, protecting Americans’ data will only grow more urgent, particularly when it comes to guarding it from foreign adversaries.

That’s why we’re glad that the Biden administration on Monday announced a new rule that, if finalized, would prohibit the use of software and hardware developed by foreign adversaries like China in internet-connected vehicles on American roads.

It might sound like a strange area to focus on, but we already know that cars are privacy nightmares rolling around on four wheels, collecting vast amounts of data about their drivers and surroundings as they become increasingly reliant on sensors and computers. Keeping that information out of hands that might use it to harm our nation is critical.

If you’re wondering what kind of information modern cars can record, the answer is just about everything. Onboard devices track things like speed, acceleration and location and can transmit the data wirelessly. Cameras can record what’s happening inside the car and out, and that’s to say nothing of the personal devices we constantly connect to them.

That data has the potential to provide our adversaries with information about American drivers and, perhaps even more concerning, on critical infrastructure like the electrical grid. It doesn’t take much to imagine how that could be used to our nation’s detriment.

Originating with the U.S. Commerce Department, this new rule would effectively ban cars or car components made by foreign adversaries from the American market. There aren’t very many Chinese cars and components in the market as things stand, but Reuters reported that the department is acting preemptively before they become more prevalent and pose a more serious security risk.

Under the circumstances, that’s a wise approach. It’s also disappointing that it’s necessary. It wasn’t all that long ago, when China joined the World Trade Organization, that there were hopes for an economic boom and greater cooperation. That was in 2001.

It’s a pity that in more recent years, China’s communist leadership has instead positioned itself as an adversary of the United States. A 2023 report from the office of the director of national intelligence states, “China probably currently represents the broadest, most active, and persistent cyber espionage threat to U.S. government and private-sector networks.”

Paired with other points of contention such as Taiwan’s independence, strained relations have made cooperation difficult when it’s even possible at all.

Like other regulatory measures meant to address data privacy issues, this proposed rule is not the kind of comprehensive legislative reform our country needs Congress to take up. This sort of measure feels a little bit like plugging a leak in a boat only for three more to appear.

But while Congress continues to shirk its responsibility, it’s better than nothing.

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