A growing Number of harassment and stalking incidents have caused a top US-based telecom regulator to take stringent action against Automakers. The news comes after a large number of events involving drivers tracking down their partners through vehicle location features have grown with time.
It’s a serious matter and that’s why automakers are now being questioned about how they’re making plans to ensure great safety and protection of those on the road as many can have access to their exact location, amongst other sensitive data.
A letter was sent out on Thursday to a whopping number of automakers, as confirmed by the FCC chairwoman who inquired about the alarming matter. She asked what these connected car systems entail and how plans are being made to provide support to drivers who were once abused domestically after being caught in the middle of a horrific and helpless situation.
So far, she claims that the serious matter should never have arisen in the first place. And now that it has, it’s time to put the right safeguards in place so that no one needs to decide between getting harmed and giving up the car as others can pinpoint their exact location and data easily.
So many cars have a large number of convenience features that utilize telecom to look for other vehicles standing inside a parking lot. Similarly, engines can start through remote means, and connectivity directly linked to emergency responders may also be in place to ensure the highest level of protection for drivers at all times.
The chairwoman even shed light on how the offerings all rely upon the use of wireless connectivity as well as location data for tracking purposes. But when and if taken or given in the wrong pair of hands, they can end up doing more harm than any good, especially in relationships where abusive partners are involved.
Meanwhile, the letter went on to detail more about automakers making quick decisions about any such services and policies active right now and if their terms and conditions of service speak about getting rid of these connected apps, if requests are put in place by someone in danger of abuse. So that means if an abusive partner’s title’s name is mentioned, would the company simply give them the right to do anything and everything? If yes, it must be changed immediately, she added.
There were plenty of letters sent out, keeping this concern in mind to all the top automobile-producing firms in the US. This included the likes of GM, Honda, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, Tesla, and others. Similarly, letters were generated in the direction of top voice providers who rely on wireless technology.
As one can expect, it’s about time someone spoke on this alarming situation before it actually gets too late. So far, no messages were left behind by automakers when asked for their comments but we’ll keep you updated on this front when it happens.
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