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Attorneys general ask Commerce Department to probe possible spyware in China-made connected vehicles
Summary
Russell Coleman said state attorneys general are calling on the Commerce Department to investigate whether vehicles made in China could allow foreign access to sensitive data and phone connections; he urged technical experts to examine the issue.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said state attorneys general have asked the Commerce Department to investigate whether connected vehicles made in China might allow foreign actors access to sensitive data.
Coleman, who noted his background as a former FBI agent, said he is not a "technical expert" but that attorneys general have an obligation to "go to where the threat is" and to ask expert agencies to evaluate potential spyware or data-access risks in vehicle systems and connected phones.
He urged the Department of Commerce to use its technical expertise to review vehicle systems and said the states will press the federal government to protect citizens where they perceive a national-security or privacy threat. Coleman framed the vehicle concern alongside other Chinese-origin technology issues the AGs are pursuing, including litigation involving social media platforms.
The interview did not present technical evidence on the vehicle systems themselves; Coleman recommended that specialized federal agencies review the matter and did not claim that a specific vulnerability had been proven on air.
The host said the program will follow any findings and invited Coleman to return with updates.
