Op-Ed: Rep. Diana Harshbarger: Owner Access to Vehicle Data is Essential to Innovation, Affordability, and Transparency
I still remember how proud I felt getting the keys to my first car, knowing that it belonged to me. I drove it everywhere. And when I couldn’t fix it myself, the local mechanics always gave me a good deal.
A lot has changed since then. A car sold off the lot today more closely resembles a computer on wheels than my old Datsun B210. Instead of a dipstick and a tire pressure gauge, new cars use diagnostic data to alert you when an oil change or tune-up is due. Even with these changes, many of us still assume that when we buy a car, we own all of it, just as we once owned the oil dipstick and tire pressure gauge in older models. That is no longer the case. The principles of buying a car, insuring it, titling it, and maintaining it are now murkier than ever before because of vehicle-generated data.
According to recent estimates, modern cars generate 25 gigabytes of data per hour. That data includes diagnostics, safety metrics, maintenance alerts, geolocation, and driving behavior. This information can power advanced features and improve performance, but it also carries serious implications. The questions before Congress are who controls that data and how that shapes competition, consumer choice, affordability, and American innovation.
I came to Congress as a small business owner, dedicated to protecting consumers and supporting fair market competition. I know what it’s like to operate in a playing field tilted against you while the heavyweights control and restrict critical information. It’s these nickel-and-dime practices against independent operators and local businesses that keep our country from reaching its full potential. In a time where every dollar matters, this is a critical issue for everyday Americans.
Drivers have been sidelined, too. There are cases where companies have sold vehicle data without the owner’s consent. There have been data leaks, cyber attacks, and even stalkers using vehicle data to track their victims. Congress must establish a clear framework that provides vehicle owners with data privacy, access, and transparency.
To address these challenges, I am proud to have introduced the Data Rights for Information and Vehicle Electronics in Real-Time (DRIVER) Act. This bill affirms that when you buy a car, you own the data and can access it securely, in real-time. You don’t have to pay a fee to unlock your car; why should your vehicle data be any different?
My bill strengthens competition, supports affordability, and encourages innovation. It also reinforces a basic principle of ownership: control over your property includes control over the information it produces. Car manufacturers shouldn’t know where you work and where you go — and they certainly shouldn’t be able to sell your sensitive personal data without asking you first.
The decisions we make now in Congress will shape our automotive industry for decades. We must pass common-sense vehicle access legislation to protect consumers, empower small businesses, and ensure that America remains the leader in innovation.
For a nation built on free enterprise and opportunity, the choice is clear: restore control of vehicle data to the people who own it, cultivate competition, and put American car owners back in the driver’s seat.
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Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger is a native East Tennessean who represents Tennessee’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
