NJ Assemblyman pushes to protect ‘black box’ information

New Jersey lawmakers are trying to put limits on who can get access to information through the so-called “black boxes” installed in new cars.

 

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty said the black boxes, required to be installed in new cars since last year, record data on a vehicle’s speed, location, and the number of passengers. He said vehicle communications and security systems that sync your smartphone with your car could allow access to personal data you don’t want someone else to have. “I think it’s important that we state here in New Jersey that this information is owned by the owner of the car just like we would expect that the information on our personal computers or on our personal phones is our information and others can’t hack it, take it, or sell it to third parties.”

 

Moriarty said he’s worried about personal information getting into the wrong hands.

“There’s all sorts of information that could leave the car that you might not want others to have. Everything from where you usually go because it syncs with the GPS, who your friends and family are, what their contact numbers are, what their email addresses are.” Moriarty’s bill would allow exceptions for law enforcement and repair shops to access the data. It prohibits a vehicle recording device from being destroyed within two years after a crash that results in death or injury to preserve data as evidence in potential lawsuits.