Trump Administration to Driverless Car Makers: Go Nuts!

Published on

On Tuesday, US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao revealed the updated version of the guidelines for the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles. The DOT secretary defended the guidelines, which opt for voluntary guidance rather than enforceable rules. Chao said that a third version is in progress and slated to be introduced in 2018.

“We’re going to emphasize safety, but we also want to preserve the innovation and creativity that’s the hallmark of America,” Chao said, according to the Detroit Free Press. You can read the second version of the guidelines in full here.

Automakers are predictably pleased with the voluntary guidelines, which take a more flexible approach to industry standards than self-driving guidelines issued by the Obama administration in September 2016. Obama’s guidelines included a 15-point federal checklist of safety expectations for driverless cars. Automakers previously voiced objections over them in a letter to Trump. Luckily for them, the updated guidelines Chao introduced this week give self-driving car makers the self-regulating freedom they urged for.

But a statement from Democratic representatives Frank Pallone and Jan Schakowsky called the second version of the driverless car safety guidelines introduced on Tuesday “a step backwards”:

Instead of focusing on safety and ensuring car makers are properly testing these vehicles, the administration chose to cave to industry and pressure states into not acting. Since the Trump Administration is not providing any leadership, Congress must move forward with bipartisan legislation that puts safety first through mandatory safety assessment certifications, a framework for updating safety standards, plans for privacy and cybersecurity, and general improvements in vehicle safety.

John Simpson, a privacy advocate with Consumer Watchdog, similarly slammed the guidelines, telling the LA Times, “This isn’t a vision for safety.”

“It’s a road map that allows manufacturers to do whatever they want, wherever and whenever they want,” said Simpson, “turning our roads into private laboratories for robot cars with no regard for our safety.”

Chao’s defense of the voluntary guidelines argues that innovation needs freedom to flourish. Those opposing that viewpoint see a lack of enforceable federal regulations as a means for automakers to put unsafe vehicles on the road. But Chao’s argument makes the assumption that innovation and enforcement can’t coexist. When we are dealing with actual tons of metal capable of killing humans due to a machine error—which has already happened—it seems dangerous not to prioritize safe vehicles over disgruntled automakers.

Latest Privacy Videos
Video thumbnail
KCAL-LA - Los Angeles, CA: Personal Data Used To Target Shoppers
06:36
Video thumbnail
KCBA (FOX) - Monterey, CA: CA Bill Aims To Put An End To Surveillance Price Gouging
00:55
Video thumbnail
KLAS-LV (CBS) - Las Vegas, NV: Surveillance Pricing
00:46
Video thumbnail
KIRO-SEA (CBS) - Seattle, WA: CA Lawmakers Consider Bill On Price Gouging
00:51
Video thumbnail
AB 446 Press Conference
13:52
Video thumbnail
Consumer Alert: Surveillance Pricing
02:07
Video thumbnail
KTTV-LA (FOX) - Los Angeles, CA: Prices Are being Adjusted Based On Your Shopping Habits
03:42
Video thumbnail
KTVU-SF (FOX) - San Francisco, CA: Surveillance Price Gouging
05:49
Video thumbnail
KCAL-LA - Los Angeles, CA: Surveilance Price Gouging
03:17
Video thumbnail
KBCW 44 Cable 12 - San Francisco, CA: Meta Holiday Hack
03:25
Video thumbnail
KTVU-SF (FOX) - San Francisco, CA: Several Tech Bills Head To Governor's Desk
06:12
Video thumbnail
Al Jazeera: Google antitrust law trial US court says google is a monopolist, violated law
02:16
Video thumbnail
Consumer Alert — National Data Breach
01:24
Video thumbnail
KTVU-SF (FOX) - San Francisco, CA: Calm App, Doordash Software Sued For Data Sharing
05:40
Video thumbnail
Consumer Alert: No Opt Out
00:49
Video thumbnail
KCAL-LA - Los Angeles, CA: Investigation Into California's Newborn DNA Database
03:39
Video thumbnail
Consumer Alert: Data Parasites
02:07
Video thumbnail
KCBS - Los Angeles, CA: California Biobank Stores Every Baby's DNA; Parents Had No Idea
04:26
Video thumbnail
Consumer Alert: Wall Street using AI
01:48
Video thumbnail
KCBA (FOX) CA: Clearview AI Is Creating An AI Facial Recognition Software That Violates Privacy Laws
00:35
Video thumbnail
KGO CA: Consumer Watchdog Calls Attorney General to Investigate Clearview AI For Violating State Law
03:06
Video thumbnail
KNTV-SF (NBC) - San Francisco, CA: Tesla Recalls Millions of Cars
02:29
Video thumbnail
Consumer Alert: Clearview AI
01:19
Video thumbnail
Californians Now Have More Power Over Their Data
01:07
Video thumbnail
KPIX CBS TV-5 San Francisco, CA: Your Car's Computer Could Be Tracking And Reporting Your Every Move
00:48
Video thumbnail
California Votes YES on Privacy- Prop 24
13:14
Video thumbnail
Rage For Justice Report Podcast- Prop 24 For Your Privacy
19:18
Video thumbnail
Consumer Watchdog Hacks Tesla
02:00
Video thumbnail
FOX KSWB: New Internet-Connected Cars Could Get Hacked
01:05
Video thumbnail
ABC: Kill Switch Report Highlights Widespread Hacking Vulnerability of Connected Cars
02:12
Video thumbnail
KTTV FOX: Consumer Watchdog Report Warns That Hackers Can Take Over Your Car
05:02
Video thumbnail
SPECNEWS1: Watchdog Warns Cars With Internet Connection Vulnerable to Hacking
00:37
Video thumbnail
KBCW: Connected Cars Pose Risk to Driver Safety Due to Hacking Vulnerability
02:31
Video thumbnail
ABC KGO: Whistleblower Engineers Warn Connected Cars Need A Kill Switch to Stop Hacking
02:10
Video thumbnail
KCAL: Alarming Watchdog Report Shows Connected Cars Are Vulnerable to Hacking
02:51
Video thumbnail
ABC KGTV: Report Says Internet-Linked Cars Are Vulnerable To Hackers
00:30
Video thumbnail
KTTV Fox 11: Consumer Watchdog Report Shows How Vulnerable Connected Cars Are To Dangerous Hacking
01:05
Video thumbnail
NBC: Watchdog Report Show Connected Cars Lack of Cybersecurity Put Drivers at Risk
03:38
Video thumbnail
CBS KGPE: Connected Cars Pose A Cybersecurity Risk
03:05
Video thumbnail
Fox WDAF: High-Tech Cars Put Drivers At Risk Of Hacking Interference
00:47
Video thumbnail
ABC WXYZ: Connected Cars Can Be Hacked Says Kill Switch Report
01:36
Video thumbnail
KTTV GDLA: US Senators Write NHTSA About Connected Car Concerns
01:17
Video thumbnail
FOX KPTV: Kill Switch Report Details Cybersecurity Issues With Internet Connected Cars
02:28
Video thumbnail
CBS LA: Kill Switch Study Finds Connected Cars Are Vulnerable to Hacking
01:41
Video thumbnail
FOX KTTV: Consumer Watchdog on Privacy Issues, Hacking Risks With Internet-Connected Toys
03:00
Video thumbnail
CBS Evening News With Norah O'Donnell: Jamie Court Explains the Value of CA's Consumer Privacy Act
02:04
Video thumbnail
WAFF TV-48 Alabama: Watchdog Report Highlights Car-Hacking Risks
03:16
Video thumbnail
ABC KFSN: Internet-Connected Vehicles At Risk Of Being Hacked Says New Watchdog Report
00:33
Video thumbnail
KPIX CBS: Connected Cars Need A Kill Switch To Stop Dangerous Hacking
02:31
Video thumbnail
KCAL: Kill Switch Report Warns of Hacking Risk For Connected Cars
01:29

Privacy In The News

Latest Privacy Report

Support Consumer Watchdog

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, press releases and special reports.