Proponents continue to spread falsehoods about existing law
BOSTON, MA – October 17, 2019 – The Coalition for Safe & Secure Data today ripped the blatantly false messaging of vehicle data ballot question proponents in their signature gathering effort:
“We’re still a year out from the 2020 Massachusetts election, and already the national aftermarket auto parts chains behind a consumer data grab ballot question have adopted Orwellian tactics when it comes to the truth,” said Coalition spokesperson Conor Yunits.
“In a mass fundraising email yesterday, ballot question proponents continued to blatantly lie about existing protections afforded in current law, insisting that the central issue of vehicle telematics ‘was not on the radar’ when the previous law was passed – despite the law having an entire section dedicated to the topic that specifically grants appropriate access to any information needed to diagnose and repair a vehicle.”
“This entire campaign is based on false assertions. As proponents hound Massachusetts residents for their signatures to get this faulty question on next year’s ballot, we encourage voters to look past the phony claims and avoid putting their own names behind these lies.”
The messages used in their appeal underscore one of several falsehoods being spread by ballot question proponents. In fact, three months before the 2012 ballot question was put to voters, the Massachusetts legislature passed a law with specific language on telematics – language that was reinforced in a 2013 Massachusetts law and a national Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2014. Under this law and MOU, repair shops have access to all the information they need to repair consumer cars and they will continue to in the future.
The telematics proposal – put forward by aftermarket auto parts suppliers and big box national chains under the cover of “Right to Repair” – is not about who can fix consumer cars; it is about how many companies and people have remote access to consumer driving habits, patterns, and location in real-time.
“This proposal is a threat to the consumer privacy and cybersecurity of Massachusetts drivers. It risks making personal data readily available to third-party groups and creates no safeguards for how third-parties store and protect your information,” said Yunits. “Given the world we live in now, we should be finding ways to keep personal information safe, not exposing it to added risk.”
About the Coalition
The Coalition for Safe and Secure Data was formed by groups with an interest in protecting consumer privacy and vehicle cybersecurity. Learn more about the Coalition for Safe & Secure Data at https://safeandsecuredata.org.
For media inquiries, please contact Conor Yunits at [email protected].
