US President Joe Biden has warned that Chinese manufactured automobiles could be used to steal sensitive data of US citizens and critical infrastructure.
The White House statement announced it will be conducting an investigation into the impact of “connected vehicles” containing technology from China on US national security.
“I have directed my Secretary of Commerce to conduct an investigation into connected vehicles with technology from countries of concern and to take action to respond to the risks,” outlined Biden.
The statement highlighted that most cars are now connected to other systems, including phones, navigation systems, critical infrastructure and the companies that made them.
As such, “connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People’s Republic of China.”
Additionally, the White House warned that these vehicles could be remotely accessed or disabled on US roads.
China is pursuing unfair practices to dominate the future of the automobile market, including flooding the US market with its vehicles.
“I’m not going to let that happen,” emphasized Biden.
“China imposes restrictions on American autos and other foreign autos operating in China. Why should connected vehicles from China be allowed to operate in our country without safeguards?” he added.
The announcement follows an executive order signed by Biden on February 28, which aims to prevent the sale of personal and financial data to countries of concern, including China.
There have been a series of warnings issued by Western nations about the threat posed by Chinese state hackers so far in 2024. In February, Five Eyes agencies warned that Chinese threat group Volt Typhoon has positioned itself in sectors including communications, energy, transportation, and water and wastewater.