New California Data Privacy Law Protects Survivors of Domestic Abuse

California passed a new data privacy law designed to protect survivors of domestic abuse. Governor Gavin Newsom has received immense support for his action in helping the bill get through lawmakers.

It seems as though our technology is on a nonstop track for improvement and innovation. With self-driving cars and GPS-tracking technology, the bounds for our travel are becoming increasingly sophisticated. With the benefits that this technology can bring also come some dangers, such as data hacking, and GPS stalking. 

There have been numerous stories explaining the dangers of stalking through the use of high-tech vehicles. In one harrowing story, a New York woman was followed by her abusive ex-husband, who tracked her “last-parked” location through the vehicle’s shared app. Even women who haven’t experienced stalking like this often live in fear of their abusive partners knowing their whereabouts.

California Data Privacy Law 

Governor Newsom signed the new California data privacy law, part of a series of bills designed to protect survivors of domestic abuse. He received overwhelming support for this bill, which abuse-survivor interest groups have proposed for years. In the past, individual survivors’ attempts to file civil suits against companies such as Tesla have been fruitless. Thus, many hope that this government-led effort will produce meaningful results. 

The bill requires carmakers to allow individuals to submit documentation proving restraining orders or other legal documents. These submissions would allow drivers to request remote access and data use termination within two business days. The bill would require that carmakers include easy access for drivers to manually turn off location services within their vehicles. Likewise, drivers will now receive warnings about when location services are on. 

Another interesting side effect of the data privacy law is that it could spark data law changes across the country. Most automakers avoid producing different models to comply with specific state laws. Thus, car companies may alter their general models more as states like California continue to make changes. 

Astounding Support

As you can probably guess, the California data privacy law has received astounding support from many. 

Currently, no vehicle manufacturer has outwardly opposed the data privacy law. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing many car manufacturers, has stood with the bill. According to the AAI, they firmly agree with the value of protecting domestic abuse survivors. A spokesperson for the group has voiced some concern regarding the logistical ability to adhere to these laws promptly. 

Most interest groups are also satisfied with the result of the California data privacy bill. Andrea Amico, the CEO and founder of Privacy4Cars, said, “We applaud California’s governor and lawmakers for passing the first law that specifically tackles abuse perpetrated through vehicle technologies…Sadly, much more is needed.”

Welcomed Change and Further Improvements 

As shown in the statement by Andrea Amico from Privacy4Cars, there is a lot more improvement that should happen. Her group recently filed comments with the Federal Trade Commission to address these concerns. In their remarks, the group urged the FTC to require automakers to use window decals as a disclosure to show what vehicles allow remote access and GPS data use. They also asked that the FTC create a hotline to educate survivors on how to safely use high-tech cars and disable their dangerous data services. 

In April of this year, the FTC responded to these concerns. They said they would look into ways to use existing law to hold automakers accountable for their high-technology dangers.

With this in mind, it is clear that states like California are beginning to show real concern for the safety of domestic abuse survivors concerning high-tech cars and data privacy. Although the new California data privacy law is making significant progress, groups like Privacy4Cars remain certain that much more work still lies ahead. In the future, laws such as this may make us more aware of the dangers of new technology in our everyday tools and products.