WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to propose a ban on the use of Chinese software in self-driving and connected cars in the coming weeks, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The Biden administration is expected to issue proposed rules to ban Chinese software from being installed in U.S. vehicles with Level 3 or above self-driving technology, which would also ban the testing of self-driving cars made by Chinese companies on U.S. roads.
The administration also plans to propose banning vehicles equipped with advanced Chinese-developed wireless communication modules from U.S. roads, the people added.
Under the proposal, automakers and suppliers would have to verify that their connected car and advanced self-driving car software wasn’t developed by “foreign entities of concern” like China, the people said.
The Commerce Department said last month it plans to release proposed regulations on connected cars in August that would impose restrictions on some software made in China and other countries it considers adversaries.
Asked for comment, a Commerce Department spokesman said Sunday that the department is “concerned about national security risks associated with connected technology in connected vehicles.”
The department’s Bureau of Industry and Security will issue proposed rules “focused on specific systems of concern within vehicles, and industry will have an opportunity to review the proposed rules and provide comments.”
The White House and State Department met Wednesday with allies and industry leaders to “jointly address national security risks associated with connected vehicles,” and officials laid out details of the administration’s planned rules, according to sources.
The meeting brought together officials from the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom who “exchanged views on data and cybersecurity risks associated with connected vehicles and specific components.”
Level 3, also known as conditional driving automation, includes technology that allows drivers to engage in activities such as watching a movie or using a smartphone while driving, but only under limited conditions.
The administration is concerned that connected cars could use driver monitoring systems to listen to or record occupants or even take control of the vehicle itself.
“The national security risks are enormous,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said earlier this year. “This is a really serious issue, and that’s why I’ve decided to take action.”
