This article originally appeared in aftermarketNews by Amy Antenora
The Coalition for Safe and Secure Data (CSSD) reached out to aftermarketNews.com following the news coverage Thursday about an updated version of the Massachusetts Right to Repair bill heading to the ballot.
Conor Yunits, spokesperson for the CSSD, which was formed in opposition to the Right to Repair ballot proposal, submitted the following comment in response to the news.
“For three months, national political groups and their lobbyists have been misleading and deceiving Massachusetts voters about existing laws and the real purpose behind their insidious proposal,” said Yunits. “This ballot question will create easy opportunities for strangers, hackers and criminals to access consumer vehicles and personal driving data – including real-time location. It will put people at risk, without doing anything to improve the consumer experience. Our Coalition will do everything we can to educate voters throughout the next year and work to ensure the defeat of this dangerous scheme.”
On the CSSD website, the organization refutes many of the concerns aftermarket organizations have voiced in the “Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.” campaign regarding the monopoly vehicle manufacturers could create, limiting independent repair shops’ ability to repair cars and for consumers to freely choose where their vehicles are repaired, through the control of access to vehicle telematics. The CSSD website posted the following in its FAQ section:
“When you pull in to your mechanic’s garage, they can plug into your car’s port and will be provided with diagnosis and repair information. No, your choice for who you trust to do your repairs is guaranteed. Your preferred repair location will always be able to access repair information through existing vehicle systems. Car owners will always be free to visit the auto repair shop of their choice, and the existing law ensures that every repair shop will have the information necessary to diagnose and repair your vehicle.”
