Many of today’s cars maintain permanent connections to the internet. These enable automakers to provide remote software updates that fix safety problems and add new conveniences. But they also introduce new safety risks.
Cases of technology-enabled stalking involving cars are emerging as automakers add ever-more-sophisticated features, such as location tracking and remote control of functions such as locking doors or honking the horn.
The New York Times reports, “Domestic violence experts say that these convenience features are being weaponized in abusive relationships, and that car makers have not been willing to assist victims.”
It may take legislative action to solve the problem. A federal law known as the Safe Connections Act allows abuse victims to separate their phone accounts from those of their abusers. A similar law should extend to cars.
