Rosenworcel Circulates Safe Connections Act Proposal for Connected Cars

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated an NPRM that would seek comment on whether the commission should consider rule changes addressing the "impact of connected car services on domestic violence survivors" as it implements the Safe Connections Act, the agency said in a Wednesday news release. The move comes after the FCC wireless service providers and auto manufacturers responded to Rosenworcel's letters last month asking about their in-vehicle connectivity and connected car services. "

A car is a critical lifeline that can give survivors a way to escape their abusers, gain independence, and seek support," Rosenworcel said: “Survivors of domestic abuse shouldn’t have to choose between giving up their vehicle and feeling safe." If adopted, the item would seek comment on "types and frequency of use of connected car services that are available in the marketplace today," whether changes to the commission's current rules should be made to "address the impact of connected car services on domestic violence survivors," and steps connected car service providers can "proactively take to protect survivors from the misuse of connected car services," the agency said.

The FCC received responses from all wireless service providers and auto manufacturers that received Rosenworcel's letter (see 2401110070). It's "critical that survivors of domestic violence be able to disentangle their lives from their abusers," said T-Mobile. The carrier said it implemented a "simple process" for line separation requests and is "successfully processing those requests ahead of the July 2024 compliance date." Survivors are given a "streamlined attestation form to complete and support the initiation of a line or lines separation request," T-Mobile said. An "expert" then calls the survivor to confirm the person's "preferred course of action, explain the separation process, and request any incomplete or missing information." AT&T told the commission its connected car services are limited to selling wholesale connectivity to car manufacturers and in-vehicle connectivity to consumers.

Verizon is "diligently moving forward to implement the FCC’s rules," it said. The company said it's updating and enhancing "customer care, training, provisioning, and other systems to meet the FCC’s recently-established rules implementing the line separation requirements." In addition, it's training customer care personnel handling line separation requests to inform survivors that they should "check apps on their devices and connected devices in their vehicles, independent of the line separation process." The carrier also suggested that legislation to "expressly extend the Safe Connections Act's protections to connected car services" may be necessary to support survivors in a "comprehensive way."

"[F]rom the moment a customer takes delivery, Tesla does not associate individual vehicle data with a customer’s identity or account by default," the company said, adding that it "does not have knowledge of a specific customer’s activities, location or a history of where they have been." Customers may also request deletion of their account and associated personal data "at any time through multiple channels," Tesla said.

"We believe our current policies are responsive to the needs of survivors and law enforcement," said Hyundai, adding that it allows only a vehicle's "primary owner to cancel access" to its Bluetooth remote service "[a]bsent legal process or exigent circumstances." Ford noted the phone numbers assigned to cellular modems in its vehicles aren't available to customers and all calls and text messages are blocked. Vehicle operators have the option to not share connected vehicle data through touch-screen controls in the vehicle, Ford said, and cannot be re-enabled through its apps.

"Honda has a long history of implementing designs and policies created with user privacy and safety in mind," the company told the FCC. Honda also said its in-app vehicle location service is "limited to only when the vehicle is parked" and in-vehicle notifications are displayed for the vehicle operator if a request for the vehicle's location is made. "Location-based services provide important safety and security benefits," said Toyota, adding that it "recognizes the sensitivity of this information." Toyota "follows a documented process to remove access to connected services at the request of survivors of domestic violence or abuse," it said.

Automakers "do not furnish the specific types of services that are subject to the Safe Connections Act," said Mercedes-Benz. If a party other than the vehicle owner requests a profile deleted or terminated from its connectivity services, the company said a court order is required. Stellantis, which manufactures Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep, among others, said its vehicles transmit data through a cellular connection "only when the customer consents and activates connected services." If a customer requests to deactivate location services, Stellantis said such requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Survivors have "several options for seeking help in emergency situations and taking steps to avoid unauthorized tracking," said General Motors. If a survivor requests that its OnStar service account or vehicle location information be restricted and isn't the primary account owner, the company said account restrictions typically happen within 24 hours of providing proof of vehicle ownership or other documentation supporting a request. Nissan said it lacks the "technical capability ... to prevent a(nother) vehicle owner from re-connecting" a vehicle to a connected app or device after a telematics control unit for cellular connection and data flow has been disconnected.

Safe Connections Act lead sponsor Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, hailed Rosenworcel’s NPRM. “The Safe Connections Act is about stopping domestic violence abusers from stalking and controlling their victims thorough telecommunications,” he said. Rosenworcel’s “proposal will help make sure that whether it’s through a cell phone or an internet-connected car, victims can separate from their abusers and get the help and support they need.”