Traffic accidents claim 37,000 lives a year in the U.S. Although this number will be greatly reduced, the price is that your driving data will be broadcasted openly for others to make use of. One would think that you couldn’t build a system secure enough to avoid your data being hacked. And, the information being available to the government certainly isn’t appetizing.
V2V ups privacy concerns because it essentially broadcasts a vehicle’s location and speed, as well as some information about where a vehicle has been previously, to anyone within range. And while Department of Transportation officials told the GAO that “V2V communication security system would contain multiple technical, physical, and organizational controls to minimize privacy risks—including the risk of vehicle tracking by individuals and government or commercial entities,” regulating who can use V2V data and for what would fall outside the Department of Transportation’s span of control. It would essentially require legislation by Congress.”
Considering the mass surveillance being carried out by the National Security Agency and other agencies, it is highly unlikely that authorities would ignore this potent source of information. Local governments could use the data to track those they consider “bad actors.
“Vehicle owners need to know that companies or local governments won’t be able to use the data from V2V to track cars like website users, and that is going to be a hard sell in this post-Snowden world.”
The surveillance state would not be the only potential threat to connected drivers. Hackers have already demonstrated the ability to tamper with braking, speed, steering, and dashboard displays in the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape.
Not to mention, the government database containing personal information on every government employee was just compromised by hackers; not some, but every single federal employee was compromised. They can’t even protect their own data, still think they can protect yours?
The prospect of connected cars brings many exciting possibilities. They are the first crucial step toward vehicles that can drive themselves. They will link to your apps and smart devices, tailoring the driving experience for you and helping to plan your day. They will reduce crashes and cut down on congestion by talking to sensors in the road system.
NO. Not now. Not ever.
The government has zero credibility on trust.