US Data Privacy Guidelines Not Compatible With Euro Privacy Laws

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Just as with emissions and headlamps, standards recently adopted in the United States regarding consumer data and privacy won’t be compatible elsewhere, specifically in Europe.

Per Automotive News Europe, Stephan Appt, legal director of Munich, Germany-based international law firm Pinsent Masons, says the standards developed by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers to both handle said data and ensure privacy “are a step in the right direction,” but aren’t enough for European authorities.

Issues concerning the standards — which were agreed upon earlier this month by BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen — include vague and broad statements within the framework, as well as consumers giving “implicit consent to allow data processing based (upon) their mere usage of vehicle technologies and services,” an act that would run afoul of European privacy standards.

Appt added that support for the guidelines shows that automakers “are taking the issue of protecting driver data seriously enough to put aside their differences and collaborate,” and hopes those in Europe would do the same to mitigate risk in violating local privacy laws.

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • Mr. Orange Mr. Orange on Nov 24, 2014

    So how much expensive will my car be now because they have be designed and built to be in compliance with two different standatds.

  • Brian P Brian P on Nov 24, 2014

    On reading what this article says, it doesn't sound like US versus Europe, bur rather the AAMA's own self-developed standards versus European privacy regulations. If the issue really is “implicit consent to allow data processing based (upon) their mere usage of vehicle technologies and services,” i.e. your act of pressing the OnStar button allows the data associated with whatever you do subsequently to be used for nefarious purposes, then the concerns raised by the Munich law firm are probably valid - but it's also potentially easy to fix ... You press that button, you get a question "Do you consent to ... yes/no". If that's not good enough, you sign some sort of consent form at the time of vehicle purchase. It's completely unsurprising that the auto manufacturers want to do this the easy way and which allows them some sort of advantage.

  • Stuki Stuki on Nov 24, 2014

    Nothing puts fear into the hearts of Germany's high cost structure automakers, like the notion that an electronics less cheap econobox, may actually be preferable for a large and growing segment of the buying public. As long as the sensors and connectivity is there, the data will be gathered. BY FAR the only viable option for consumers actually concerned about privacy, is to destroy the sensors, and replace them on as needed basis with open source vetted, open platform hosted ones with all external communication strongly encrypted and mixed. What the Euros want, is not privacy. But rather a population with it's guard sufficiently down, to allow the usual coquetry of more equals, to gather all the info they can on their sheeples in peace.

  • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Nov 25, 2014

    Look just because Europe measures it's privates in millimeters, and we measure ours in feet doesn't mean we can't get along. Oh wait I misread.

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