On July 31, 2023, the California Privacy Protection Agency (“CPPA”) – the state privacy regulatory agency charged with regulating and enforcing the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act) (“CCPA”) — announced that it will be reviewing the data privacy practices of connected vehicle (CV) manufacturers and related CV technologies. The agency noted that such vehicles increasingly include a number of features, “including location sharing, web-based entertainment, smartphone integration, and cameras” which “automatically gather consumers’ locations, personal preferences, and details about their daily lives.”

The CPPA’s Executive Director, Ashkan Soltani, is quoted as saying “Modern vehicles are effectively connected computers on wheels. They’re able to collect a wealth of information via built-in apps, sensors, and cameras, which can monitor people both inside and near the vehicle.”

The CPPA’s enforcement division is therefore conducting a review under the CCPA “to understand how these companies are complying with California law when they collect and use consumers’ data”.

To view the CPPA’s press release, click here.