Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright have published an insightful thought leadership article looking at how Europe and Australia are regulating competition for connected-car data.

European regulatory frameworks are aiming to create a market in connected-car data, says the report, and the European Union’s (EU’s) regulatory framework is ambitious but fragmented.

“The EU has long required OEMs to give repair shops access to RMI. Vehicle-generated data is now also subject to digital and privacy regulations, including notably the EU Data Act, which gives users greater control over data generated by their connected products. Using that data, however, requires the development of common standards and data marketplaces, which are contemplated by other EU regulations.”

The article concludes on a cautious note:

“Connected vehicles collecting large volumes of data are testing the limits of regulatory regimes designed for other purposes. Sectoral regulations originally designed to promote aftermarket competition by forcing OEMs to share their data with repair shops now also capture data generated by the cars themselves. Such operational data may also trigger user rights to access and control data generated by their connected products, without necessarily limiting OEMs’ or other business stakeholders’ ability to use the same data.

“With the growing potential for connected car data to be linked to identifiable individuals, however, this data also triggers consent and other requirements limiting business’ flexibility unless they are able successfully to anonymise it. The growing integration of car infotainment systems into digital ecosystems creates another intersection with consumer protection and other regulatory frameworks.”

Click HERE to read the full article.


(Picture: Suwin Peungsamrong)