The Chinese government has called on automakers to strengthen data protection and ensure data storage in the country. This could mean that drones and vehicles with various driver assistance systems will lose the ability to communicate with centers located outside of China.
According to the updated policy of the Department of Industry and Information Technology, automakers must obtain permission from the regulator when they need to export important data, as well as before upgrading the vehicle’s on-board systems.
Currently, violation of the rules set out in the new regulation does not entail punishment for the violator.
The initiative comes amid Beijing’s general concern about the security of data generated by cars connected to the Internet. Smart cars like Tesla are causing concern for the Chinese government. Data security is becoming a national security issue and privacy policies are becoming more stringent.
In April, China published the second version of its privacy bill, which requires technology platforms to impose stricter measures to ensure the safe storage of user data. The data security law will take effect in September. Companies processing “critical information” will have to assess possible risks and submit reports.
