China Announces New Connected Car Data Regulations

China is set to roll out assessment measures to regulate data sent abroad by vehicles.

In an effort to step up the country’s data and privacy rules, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that regulators will improve monitoring of vehicle data and security and encourage telecommunication companies to invest more in cyber security.

However, the ministry failed to provide any details on how the assessments would be carried out. According to the current rules, automakers cannot export vehicle data abroad unless they obtain approval from regulators.

China, of course, is the worlds largest car market and a significant market for most European and American manufacturers. However, as cars are becoming smarter, concerns around data are growing. 

Manufacturers such as Tesla, for example, are selling a lot of cars in China but many features rely on data being sent from cars to data centres abroad.

According to Reuters, Beijing has become increasingly concerned over the data amassed and controlled by foreign private companies. The Chinese government is also concerned that the information could be attacked or misused and recently enacted a new data security law.