Tracking Laws Could See Automakers Fully Stop Sales In California

Vehicle tracking can be an alarming way your car is using your data, but it's also a valuable feature that can locate you or your car in case of an emergency. However, that same technology has actually become a point of concern in California, where new legislation could impact the future of car sales throughout the state.

SB 1394 is a law designed to prevent unauthorized use of a vehicle's connected services to track or monitor another person. This was a preventative measure, designed to keep abuse victims from being stalked or harassed. In order to help make this happen, vehicles would need built-in ways to disable location access. They would also need a way to indicate when vehicle data was being accessed in real time. Automakers claim that it would take too much time to satisfy this request, which is required to be implemented under a July 1, 2026 deadline set by the state. So without a change, car companies could halt vehicle sales in California to avoid violating the law.

However, the proposed SB 719 amendment would give auto manufacturers additional time to comply. So instead of being ready by July 1, which manufacturers claim would be difficult due to current vehicles needing much more work than just a software update, the timeline would be adjusted to allow for implementation of the required changes. As of this writing, there has been no decision on SB 719, and there is no indication if the bill will pass before the July 1, 2026 deadline.

The other part of California's new SB 1394 tracking law required less work behind the scenes and is actually already in effect. This requirement states that if a vehicle owner wants to have someone's access removed from their connected services, they can make the request, and the automaker has to process that request within two business days. For example, if a driver is using Toyota connected services, they could make the request, get the response, and thus manage their account permissions with a quick turnaround.

According to the law, once a person is removed, the service provider is not allowed to share any information with that person after the fact. This includes any data regarding the vehicle, the driver, or the account. The process must also be handled confidentially, which means all submitted information must adhere to privacy laws, with no details being released to third parties. The only exceptions are if the information is included in a court order or warrant.

However, the new law does not apply to rental vehicles in the state. This means even the best car rental companies are not required to build or update their fleets with connected-service controls under the required law. So a driver in a rental car would not be dealing with the same type of access management system used for a personally owned vehicle. Instead, car rental companies operate under their own systems and policies.