There is new concern over Chinese-made “smart cars” on the streets of the United States which could be used to collect information on the driver and surrounding areas of the vehicle. According to the White House, U.S. intelligence agencies have warned that China has capabilities allowing it access to a score of key infrastructure systems, which could potentially be exploited in the event of a global emergency.
“China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices,’’ Biden said in a statement Thursday. “China’s policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security. I’m not going to let that happen on my watch.”
The Biden administration announced it will begin an investigation into the smart cars, citing national security risks and surveillance issues. The Daily Caller reports “the smart cars in question often have GPS location capabilities and can connect to devices such as a driver’s smartphone, the White House said. They also come with onboard sensors and cameras that collect data about infrastructure systems around the car.”
“Imagine if there were thousands or hundreds of thousands of Chinese-connected vehicles on American roads that could be immediately and simultaneously disabled by somebody in Beijing,’’ Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters on Wednesday, according to NBC News. “So it’s scary to contemplate the cyber risks, espionage risks that these pose.”
Biden will have Raimondo and the Commerce Department to head up the investigation. Commerce will work with the U.S. auto industry to understand the potential risks the vehicles pose and then propose new regulations and safeguards, according to the White House.
“We’re doing it now, before Chinese manufactured vehicles become widespread in the United States and potentially threaten our privacy and our national security,’’ Raimondo told reporters.
The Daily Caller notes U.S. intelligence has warned that China-backed cyber operations are targeting major American infrastructure systems, such as power plants and shipping ports. In an emergency scenario – such as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan – China could disrupt these systems and cripple an American response.
The U.S. has also raised alarm that TikTok, a massive social media platform owned by a Beijing parent company, is being used as a tool to spy on Americans. Though Biden has banned TikTok from government phones over national security concerns, his reelection campaign recently created an account on the app.