Legislators know your car is watching you, but they still don't know exactly what to do about it.
As more vehicles feature connectivity, industry watchdogs and legislators are growing concerned about potential privacy violations.
"Now lawmakers are starting to explore the privacy and tax implications of smart cars," Bloomberg Businessweek reported. "In short, your car may talk to you, but legislative policy that gets hammered out in the near future will craft how much it talks about you--to automakers, marketing companies, the government, and others."
Members of Congress advocating for privacy rights have been working to regulate how data is used. As more vehicles become "smart cars," they can hold a plethora of information about their drivers, including GPS location, places frequently visited, apps used and rate of speed.
"Our privacy laws haven't kept pace with these enormous advances," Minnesota Sen. Al Franken said in a statement last month.
He has vowed to reintroduce legislation this year to "among other things, require companies to get permission before collecting tracking data," according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Roadside service company AAA believes the car is the next privacy battlefield and has called for a Consumer Rights for Car Data bill to protect motorists, USA TODAY reported.
Calling for "transparency, choice and security," AAA's proposed "bill of rights" lays out what drivers should know and whether or not data can be shared.
Another legislative battlefield when it comes to cars is a possible tax on mileage instead of gas. Oregon will begin such a program next year with 5,000 volunteers. They'll pay 1.5 cents for each mile, instead of 30 cents per gallon for gas.
A similar could be brought in soon at the federal level. Pennsylvania Congressman Bill Shuster has said he will push for legislation to tax mileage in an effort to bring in funds for highway construction and repair.
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
