Internet-connected cars allow abusers to track domestic violence survivors after they leave. A trio of California bills seek to compel automakers to act.Having a restraining order against your former partner and a judge granting you possession of a family car should be enough to get a car manufacturer to turn off location tracking, right? That scenario has happened to domestic abuse survivors CalMatters spoke to and the law as written hasn’t been enough to help.
“I hear the story over and over from survivors about being located by their vehicle and having it taken,” she said. “It just puts you in a worst case situation because it really triggers you thinking, ‘Should I go back and give in?’ and many do. And that’s why many end up being murdered in their own home. The law should make it easier to leave safely and protected.”
“The inability of consumers to control the access and use of their own personal data poses a threat to safety, and in the case of survivors, it can mean life or death,” Assembly privacy and consumer protection committee staff said in an Stephanie Davidson, managing attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, said she’s encountered multiple shelters with a policy that survivors can no longer park their vehicle there and said connected cars can complicate admission.
Dodge said he’s in talks with a member of Congress about proposing federal legislation that requires automakers to sever location tracking for survivors, but he believes passing a law in California seems more realistic.The list of AB 3139 supporters includes the Consumer Federation of California and Oakland Privacy. Hayley Tsukayama, an associate director with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, called the bill well-intentioned but expressed concerns about implementation.