On July 31, 2023, the California Privacy Protection Agency announced a review of data privacy practices by connected vehicle (CV) manufacturers and related CV technologies. According to the Agency, “[t]hese vehicles are embedded with several features including location sharing, web-based entertainment, smartphone integration, and cameras. Data privacy considerations are critical because these vehicles often automatically gather consumers’ locations, personal preferences, and details about their daily lives.”

Agency Executive Director Ashkan Soltani said that the “Enforcement Division is making inquiries into the connected vehicle space to understand how these companies are complying with California law when they collect and use consumers’ data.”

The Agency’s announcement comes approximately two weeks after the California Attorney General’s Office announced an investigative sweep focused on how large California employers are handling the expiration of the CCPA’s employee and job applicant data exemptions.