Current:Home > BackUS looks at regulating connected vehicles to prevent abusers from tracking victims-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
US looks at regulating connected vehicles to prevent abusers from tracking victims
View Date:2024-12-23 20:38:19
DETROIT (AP) — The agency that regulates U.S. telecommunications is considering a rule that could stop domestic abusers from tracking victims through vehicles that are connected wirelessly.
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is asking other commissioners to start the process of drawing up new regulations.
“Survivors of domestic abuse shouldn’t have to choose between giving up their vehicle and feeling safe,” Rosenworcel said in a prepared statement.
Nearly all new vehicles have convenience features that use telecommunications to find cars in parking lots, start the engine remotely, and even connect with emergency responders. But those features can also let abusers track the whereabouts of their victims.
Last year Congress instructed the FCC to implement the “Safe Connections Act,” which gives the agency the authority to help abused partners. Early rules passed by the agency required cell service providers to separate phone lines linked to family plans if an abuser is on the account.
The commission will look into whether the act gives it the power to do the same thing with automakers.
“We’re trying to understand the full scope of what processes are in place and what more needs to be done to make sure there are no gaps in providing survivors of abuse an ability to separate from their abusers,” said Jonathan Uriate, spokesman for Rosenworcel.
If the commission approves a proposed rule, it would get public and industry comment on connected car services.
The initiative comes after Rosenworcel in January sent a letter to nine large U.S. automakers asking for details about connected car systems and plans to support people who have been harassed and stalked by domestic abusers.
The agency said the responses were a mixed bag, with some automakers allowing partners to disconnect their vehicles from automaker or cell phone apps, while others didn’t do much.
For instance, Toyota and Ford said they will remove access to vehicle location information at the request of an abused partner. Ford said in its response that anyone who is concerned about being tracked can use touch screens in the vehicle to turn off location data and even disable connectivity entirely.
But other automakers weren’t specific on such options, the agency said.
Messages were left Thursday seeking comment from the automakers.
Rosenworcel began asking about automaker policies after a story in The New York Times about how connected cars are being weaponized in abusive relationships.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- 'Treacherous conditions' in NYC: Firefighters battling record number of brush fires
- 'I'll lose my family.' A husband's dread during an abortion ordeal in Oklahoma
- Does sex get better with age? This senior sex therapist thinks so
- Cause of Keystone Pipeline Spill Worries South Dakota Officials as Oil Flow Restarts
- UConn, Kansas State among five women's college basketball games to watch this weekend
- Search for missing Titanic sub yields noises for a 2nd day, U.S. Coast Guard says
- Crushed by Covid-19, Airlines Lobby for a Break on Emissions Offsets
- Schools ended universal free lunch. Now meal debt is soaring
- Avril Lavigne’s Ex Mod Sun Is Dating Love Is Blind Star Brittany Wisniewski, Debuts Romance With a Kiss
- Damaged section of Interstate 95 to partially reopen earlier than expected following bridge collapse
Ranking
- The charming Russian scene-stealers of 'Anora' are also real-life best friends
- Watch this student burst into tears when her military dad walks into the classroom
- Taylor Lautner Calls Out Hateful Comments Saying He Did Not Age Well
- Golnesa GG Gharachedaghi Shares Why She Doesn't Hide Using Ozempic for Weight Loss
- November 2024 full moon this week is a super moon and the beaver moon
- Think Covid-19 Disrupted the Food Chain? Wait and See What Climate Change Will Do
- Do you freeze up in front of your doctor? Here's how to talk to your physician
- Critically endangered twin cotton-top tamarin monkeys the size of chicken eggs born at Disney World
Recommendation
-
Dwayne Johnson Admits to Peeing in Bottles on Set After Behavior Controversy
-
U.S. Ranks Near Bottom on Energy Efficiency; Germany Tops List
-
Blake Shelton Gets in One Last Dig at Adam Levine Before Exiting The Voice
-
Obama family's private chef dead after paddle boarding accident at Martha's Vineyard
-
College Football Playoff ranking release: Army, Georgia lead winners and losers
-
At Stake in Arctic Refuge Drilling Vote: Money, Wilderness and a Way of Life
-
Titan submersible maker OceanGate faced safety lawsuit in 2018: Potential danger to passengers
-
Damaged section of Interstate 95 to partially reopen earlier than expected following bridge collapse