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The bill substantially increases consumer control and privacy over vehicle-generated data and strengthens FTC enforcement, at the cost of higher compliance and vehicle costs for industry, potential limits on safety research and services, cybersecurity trade-offs from open access, and strains on agency resources.
Vehicle owners (drivers, homeowners, transportation workers) gain substantially stronger control and privacy over vehicle-generated and location data: the bill defines covered data/vehicles, treats indirect identifiers and internet activity as PII, requires owner consent for manufacturer access, and guarantees owner access to their data in real time.
The Federal Trade Commission gets clearer statutory authority and stronger enforcement tools to police improper vehicle-data practices, preserving existing UDAP powers to pursue violators.
Owners can port and authorize third parties to use their vehicle data (via open APIs and no-access fees), enabling aftermarket services, app-based innovation, and competition for data-driven services.
Vehicle manufacturers, fleet operators, and other regulated businesses will face substantial new compliance, engineering, and legal costs—likely raising vehicle prices and reducing investment in features for buyers.
Broader PII definitions plus strong confidentiality rules for business information could limit access to data needed for safety research, defect investigations, emissions monitoring, recalls, and public transparency.
Mandating real-time, vendor-free owner access and allowing unrestricted third-party connections can increase cybersecurity and privacy risks if insecure apps or services gain access to vehicle systems.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Gives vehicle owners real-time control and access to vehicle and user data, limits manufacturer data access/sharing without strict consent, bans transfers to specified foreign governments, and makes the FTC the enforcer.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Mike Lee · Last progress December 16, 2025
Requires vehicle manufacturers to give owners real-time access to and control over all data generated, processed onboard, or transferred to their vehicles, prohibits manufacturers from accessing or sharing that data except in narrow cases (including owner consent, safety improvements, certain legal orders, or emergencies), and bans transfer of U.S. person personally identifiable information to five named foreign governments. The Federal Trade Commission enforces the law using its existing authorities, the agency must report to Congress on data flows and security, and the law takes effect three months after enactment without any new appropriations for implementation.