TechNet Submits Comments to the Department of Commerce on Connected Vehicles

Washington, D.C. - TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) on securing the information and communications technology and services (ICTS) supply chain for connected vehicles. The following statement can be attributed to TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore:

"The U.S. automotive industry is a key driver of innovation and economic development, supporting 9.7 million American jobs and contributing more than $1 trillion to our economy annually. However, our foreign competitors, including China, want to overtake our lead in automotive innovation and development, viewing it as critical to their competitiveness and national defense.

"U.S. automakers always prioritize safety and conduct rigorous evaluations to guarantee every vehicle component, connected or not, is safe and secure. This may include sourcing top-quality parts globally to meet this unwavering safety standard.

"Restricting access to top-tier components without proper risk evaluation will stifle U.S. connected vehicle innovation and weaken our global competitiveness. Instead of focusing on the individual components in connected vehicles, any potential rulemaking should pertain to the real security threat - the ICTS systems providers, developers, and automakers controlled by foreign adversaries.

"We welcome the Administration's whole-of-government approach in responding to evolving national security challenges around connected vehicles. It has never been more important for the U.S. to address emerging threats while maintaining our ability to innovate and compete. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Administration to ensure the security and integrity of hardware and software components integrated into America's connected vehicles."

Read our comments here.