There is controversy around the launch of surveillance technology in new U.S. vehicles.
NBC Chicago reports that, in 2021, a federal mandate requiring surveillance in new vehicles was enacted to address drunk driving. Thirty-two people are killed daily by a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Smart Eye is one of the companies developing this automotive surveillance tech. According to its website, its technology overview lists driver detection, distractiveness, dizziness, attention, dangerous behavior, object detection, activity detection, body posture, and facial expression analysis.
The idea of surveillance technology isn’t supported by all, drawing pushback from lawmakers and consumer privacy experts. U.S. Representative Celeste Maloy of Utah believes the technologies pose opportunities for abuse, per NBC Chicago.
U.S. Representative Michael Cloud of Texas said in a June 3rd House appropriations committee hearing:
“There’s the question of how that data is used. What happens to it as it continues to collect data? Who owns it? Where does it go? No doubt we’ll eventually end up on the market and be sold to the highest bidder.”
Sheila Lockwood and her family lost a family member to drunk driving in 2018. Lockwood is an advocate for surveillance technology, claiming it could save up to 10,000 lives annually.
“Everyone is worried about their privacy. It’s already in many of the new vehicles,” Lockwood said, according to NBC News.
In June, a House committee approved an amendment to delay the aforementioned 2021 federal mandate, citing the need for further study of the technology and stronger privacy protections, per the outlet.
“The bottom line is that 2027 model year cars are not going to have any mandatory technology that can determine if you’re intoxicated,” said Emily A. Thomas, PhD, associate director of safety at Consumer Reports’ auto test center, according to Consumer Reports.
