A law in Europe aimed at mandating automotive manufacturers to share vehicle data with third parties, known as the ‘Vehicle Data Sharing Law’, is expected to pass. If enacted, this law could influence regions like Massachusetts in the United States, where similar legal actions are underway.
The European Commission plans to publish a draft EU data law that will require automakers to share vehicle data with auto repair technicians, insurers, and other stakeholders starting next month. The objective of this law is to ensure an equitable distribution of data value among involved parties and to promote access to and use of the data. The European Parliament intends to review the Commission’s draft and make a decision on it by March.
According to the proposed regulations, data obtained through connected cars and other Internet of Things (IoT) products will allow users to access and transfer data and obligate data holders to share the data with third parties as requested by the users. Data holders are prohibited from charging users for sharing data and must share data of the same quality that they utilize with third parties.
The EU plans to allow independent repair and service providers access to vehicle data from June 2023 to June 2028 through a revision of the competition law exemption in the automotive sector.
This development could significantly impact the ongoing legal debates surrounding vehicle data access laws in Massachusetts. If enacted, the Massachusetts vehicle data access law will permit repair technicians to access crucial information. This legislation adds telematics system data to the information that automakers must provide to independent repair technicians.
Manufacturers selling vehicles equipped with telematics systems will need to provide an open platform that allows vehicle owners and independent repair technicians to access diagnostic data via mobile applications. Although the vehicle data law was passed in 2020, its enforcement is currently on hold, and its activation will depend on the outcomes of ongoing litigation.
By Jang In-su daedusj@autodiary.kr