Auto Data Privacy and Autonomy Act

This legislation establishes stringent rules for vehicle manufacturers regarding the handling of covered data from motor vehicles and vehicles used for farming or construction. It broadly prohibits manufacturers from accessing, selling, or sharing this data, which includes both user-provided and vehicle-generated information, without the explicit, informed, and written consent of the vehicle owner. Limited exceptions exist for vehicle performance or safety improvements or legally mandated disclosures.

The bill mandates that manufacturers provide vehicle owners with comprehensive access to and control over all their covered data, at no additional cost and in real-time. This includes enabling access through physical ports and wireless transmission, and supporting an open application programming interface for data deletion and user preference settings. Manufacturers are also explicitly prohibited from sharing personally identifiable information of U.S. citizens with specific foreign governments, such as China and Russia.

The Federal Trade Commission will enforce this Act, treating violations as unfair or deceptive practices. The Commission is also tasked with reporting to Congress on current data access practices, cybersecurity risks, and the feasibility of a secure, standards-based interface for owner data access. This Act preempts conflicting state laws concerning vehicle data access and control.