Introduction
We address the worldwide regulatory landscape facing the autonomous vehicle market.
Introduction to autonomous vehicles
Part of the autonomous vehicles white paper
Global | Publication | January 2020
Norton Rose Fulbright’s fourth annual Autonomous Vehicle (AV) White Paper addresses the planned and actual use of biometrics – the measurement of unique human physiological and behavioral characteristics – in today’s (and tomorrow’s) vehicles. To be sure, the use of biometrics has been incorporated into a multitude of technologies that are used on a daily basis to facilitate the identification or authentication of individuals. Such technologies have long included the use of fingerprint and facial recognition to unlock laptops and cellphones and for identification at border crossings, and voice recognition to verify identity for financial transactions. Now the technology is being pushed to include hand gesture recognition (e.g. swipe gestures), gait recognition, and facial and hand thermograms, all of which may be used by companies for marketing and by governments to conduct surveillance.
The automotive industry is increasingly incorporating biometric technologies for both security and convenience into their vehicles, especially for the next generation of AVs. With this rapid embrace of biometrics comes significant concerns relating to protecting the privacy of individuals. Only a few states have passed laws regulating the collection and security of biometric data. Uniformity of regulations, however, is lacking. These biometric innovations also have been developed at great cost to companies both inside and outside of the rapidly changing car industry. Although each developer believes that their particular technologies should be embraced by its marketplace, the field continues to evolve, and customer preferences are still very much undefined. Companies, therefore, have sought and continue to seek to protect their innovations through the panoply of intellectual property rights, most specifically patent rights, that will allow them to preclude unauthorized users from taking their hard-earned market share.
This White Paper explores the legal issues raised by the increased use of biometrics in cars and how to manage the risk that they raise for vehicle developers, manufacturers, and operators. As a starting point, the basic contours of the different biometric technologies are discussed. With that understanding in hand, this White Paper explores the laws of eight countries and their impact on biometric use. The countries discussed include:
- United States
- Australia
- China
- France
- Germany
- Indonesia
- South Korea
- Turkey
The integration of biometrics into autonomous vehicles
“What” information can be used, and “how” can that information be captured?
Autonomous vehicles in the United States
Biometrics in technology has been increasingly incorporated into our daily lives; however, there has not been a proliferation of laws on how to regulate this data.
Autonomous vehicles in Australia
Automated vehicle technology is likely to produce and retain data about vehicle behavior and vehicle occupants. Some of that data will sit only in-vehicle.
Autonomous vehicles in China
Under the Made in China 2025 plan, China saw the issuance of a number of key policies and regulations on intelligent vehicles in 2017.
Autonomous vehicles in France
French consumers are less worried about the collection and the sharing of their biometric data by connected vehicles than elsewhere in Europe.
Autonomous vehicles in Germany
The German government and the European Commission have declared biometric technologies to be key enablers for a digital economy.
Autonomous vehicles in Indonesia
As in the case with the operation of AVs, there is no specific regulatory framework for the uses of biometrics in Indonesia.
