Biden Admin Looks To Ban Chinese, Russian Auto Software Amid National Security Concerns

The Department of Commerce proposed a ban Monday on using Chinese and Russian components inside internet-connected vehicles on American roads.

The Biden administration previously launched an investigation back in February that sought insights from industry experts into the risks Chinese smart cars, software and other car components pose to U.S. national security. The White House has proposed the rule to cut off the Chinese and Russian products and alleviate fears the foreign technologies could be used to remotely control vehicle movement in the U.S., collect sensitive driver and patient data of Americans and co-opt car sensors and cameras to garner intelligence on domestic infrastructure.

“Vehicles’ increasing connectivity creates opportunities to collect and exploit sensitive information,” the release from the White House states release states. “Certain hardware and software in connected vehicles enable the capture of information about geographic areas or critical infrastructure, and present opportunities for malicious actors to disrupt the operations of infrastructure or the vehicles themselves.”

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If the rule is approved, software from foreign adversaries would be banned by 2027, with an embargo on hardware beginning in 2030, according to the White House statement. Most vehicles today are connected to the internet, meaning the ban would apply to nearly all Chinese-made cars in the U.S., according to The Wall Street Journal.

Chinese companies involved in car production have come under scrutiny in recent months, with lawmakers urging the U.S. Department of Defense to blacklist EV battery maker CATL in August due to national security concerns arising from the company’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

The Biden-Harris administration has attempted to diminish Chinese influence in the auto industry, including hikingtariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EV) from 25% to 100% that go into effect later this month and implementing rules tying eligibility for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit to final assembly in North America as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

“We’ll secure our cars and we’ll secure the American people, including our children, from potential surveillance, remote access and control, and protecting Americans from bad actors and trying to give every American peace of mind,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo told reporters following the announcement Monday, according to NPR Illinois.

The U.S. Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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