New York Sentator Urges Guidelines for Car Data

New York Sen. Charles Schumer is calling on federal regulators to set guidelines to protect consumers as car companies collect personal information through “smart car” technology and sell it to third parties.

Schumer announced Sunday that he’s asking the Federal Trade Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish guidelines requiring carmakers to notify drivers when they are being tracked and allow drivers to opt out completely from sharing information.

Schumer said carmakers are embedding numerous enhancements in cars such as automatic crash preparation, black boxes, smart-phone-like operating systems, and dashboard apps. He praised the safety aspects of the technology while warning that the information collected is being sent to third parties without drivers’ knowledge.