Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and 10 other members of Congress – with support from more than 20 advocacy organizations, including the American Economic Liberties Project and Institute for Local Self-Reliance – have sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) calling for increased scrutiny of Big Tech’s “expanding reach in the auto industry.”
According to a release from Rep. Raskin’s office, the letter calls out Big Tech companies’ moves to “coerce” automakers into adopting certain service packages, “lock out” competition with digital key technologies, and “swallow” more consumer data, among other restrictive tactics.
The letter echoes concerns that Big Tech companies are “doing to cars what it already did to cell phones,” underscoring that tech giants are increasingly partnering with automakers to adopt subscription-based pricing models and advanced software to “pad…already massive profits.” As anti-competitive behavior grows in the automotive industry, consumers are left with fewer and fewer options – including when it comes time to repair their cars.
The playbook by which Big Tech could abuse and misuse our data is clear: they could track our cars’ location and behavior, record everything that happens in and outside of them, and sell that data to advertisers, with or without our consent. Big Tech already seeks to know and sell nearly everything about us; will our behavior inside cars also fall under their control without public discussion?
Rep. Jamie Raskin in his letter to FTC and DOJ
Commonsense legislation currently sitting before Congress – namely, the SMART and REPAIR Acts – would limit unfair practices in the automotive industry and protect consumer access to vehicle data and quality, affordable repair options. Write to your member of Congress and ask them to support right to repair today!
