Division of Consumer Protection urges review of in‑car data practices; committee co-chairs to open bill file

Katie Haas, director of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, told the committee that modern passenger vehicles collect a wide range of personal and vehicle data and that privacy policies attached to vehicles are numerous, complex and often difficult for consumers to read and understand. Why it matters: vehicle telematics and connected-car services can capture location, usage, biometrics, media and other personal information; consumer advocates say disclosure is uneven and that statutory protections may not fully address both private and government uses of vehicle-collected data. What was presented: Haas asked the committee to consider whether the state’s existing Utah Consumer Privacy Act and Consumer Sales Practices Act sufficiently protect consumers from opaque in-vehicle data collection and recommended that the committee open a bill file and convene an interim working group. The director of the Office of State Data Privacy and the Attorney General’s office were identified as potential partners for a working group. Action: the committee’s co-chairs (Chairperson Kaye Kristofferson and co-chair Senator Harper) said they would open a bill file for further study and invited stakeholders to participate. Haas offered the Division of Consumer Protection and the Attorney General’s office as participants in any interim work. Ending: the chairs requested interested members and stakeholders notify staff so the interim study can be scheduled; the division will provide background materials to the committee and participate in the working group if formed.