New Bill Mandates Carmakers Cut Abuser Access to Connected Car Tech Within 2 Days

Imagine your car's app – the one that lets you check fuel levels, lock doors, or even track its location remotely. Now imagine someone using that tech against you. The Safe Vehicle Access for Survivors Act steps in to address this specific, modern form of abuse, creating a process for survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and similar crimes to regain control over their vehicle's connected features.

This legislation requires companies providing these 'connected vehicle services' – think the manufacturer or an affiliated tech company – to act swiftly when a survivor needs help. The core idea is to sever an abuser's ability to monitor or manipulate a vehicle through its remote services.

Cutting the Digital Leash: How It Works

So, how does this actually play out? If a survivor requests help, the service provider has two business days to take action, according to Section 3. They have a few options: shut down the abuser's associated account entirely, terminate the vehicle's main account and help the survivor set up a new, private one, or disable the connected services for that specific vehicle and guide the survivor on reactivating them securely. Critically, providers cannot charge fees, demand the abuser's permission, or hike rates to do this.

Privacy is a major focus here. Providers must keep the survivor's information confidential, securely get rid of it within 90 days, and can't share it unless necessary to fulfill the request (Section 4). They also have to notify the survivor at least three days before telling the abuser anything, and only after the abuser's access has already been cut off (Section 3). Survivors get to choose how the provider contacts them, recognizing the need for safe communication channels.

The Fine Print: What Survivors Need to Do

To kick off the process, a survivor needs to provide some key info outlined in Section 4: the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the abuser's name, and proof they have the right to control the vehicle. This proof can be sole ownership documents or evidence of exclusive legal possession. If the vehicle isn't solely owned by the survivor, a court order granting them possession or specifically restricting the abuser's use of the connected service works too.

Communication is also addressed in Section 5. Providers need clear info on their websites explaining how survivors can make these requests. Once a request is submitted, the survivor gets a confirmation with a reference number. They'll be updated on the outcome – whether access is cut, more info is needed, or if there's a technical reason the provider can't comply (though providers must explain potential remedies if they hit a technical snag, per Section 3). If an abuser might have access to the survivor's email, providers must offer an opt-out for electronic notices.

Putting Up Guardrails: Protections and Next Steps

To encourage compliance, Section 6 gives providers and their staff liability protection for actions taken (or not taken) in good faith while following the Act. This aims to remove hesitation in acting quickly on survivor requests. While providers can start complying immediately, they must be fully compliant within 180 days after the Act becomes law (Section 7).

Looking ahead, Section 9 tasks the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to write detailed rules within 180 days (and finalize them within two years). These rules will flesh out the process, focusing on speed, confidentiality, removing sensitive data, and even considering how abusers might try other ways to get data. The FCC also needs to figure out how to better inform all car owners about managing who accesses their vehicle data. Finally, Section 8 makes it clear this federal law will override any conflicting state or local rules, creating a single standard nationwide.