U.S. Government Examines Privacy Concerns Raised by Automobile "Black Boxes"

8 of 10

U.S. Government Examines Privacy Concerns Raised by Automobile "Black Boxes"

A museum displays a "black box," an indestructible data storage system that records information about flight systems prior to a crash. Soon, automobiles will also be equipped with "black boxes."

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Motorists take note: Your car might be keeping a record of your driving behavior--a great idea for accident analysis, but also a serious potential privacy concern:

Privacy experts worry the information could be accessed by anyone and say most people don't know if they have black boxes.

Supporters say black boxes give investigators and automakers extensive data that can help them design better safety features and improved roads.

But Jay Stanley, of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the government "punted on the most important privacy issues," such as whether the data are accessible to third parties without a judicial order and whether the devices can be turned off.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has responded by requiring that, beginning in 2011, all automakers clearly label vehicles that contain "black box" data recorder devices.

Civil Liberties

Top 10 Civil Liberties News Stories - August 22, 2006 Edition

See More About:

8 of 10