The Biden administration has changed its mind about a Massachusetts state law giving mechanics and car owners access to more diagnostic data.
, frustrating right-to-repair advocates. She said that the “open data platform” demanded by the law could make Massachusetts-sold cars susceptible to hackers, who might use the platform to access vital steering, acceleration, or electronics systems.
Yesterday’s letter indicates that lawyers for the federal government and Massachusetts have agreed that there are ways to give more people access to crucial vehicle repair information safely. Car manufacturers could comply with the law “by using short-range wireless protocols, such as via Bluetooth,” to give owners or independent shops authorized by owners access to the information they need to diagnose issues with and repair vehicles, the letter says.
Nathan Proctor, the head of the right-to-repair campaign at the advocacy organization US Public Interest Research Group, wrote in a statement that the government’s reversal on the Massachusetts law creates an opportunity for new discussion of national right-to-repair issues. “It’s time to have a frank conversation about the future of internet-connected cars to ensure it’s one which respects privacy, safety and the Right to Repair,” he wrote.
It remains unclear how the feds’ newest move will affect car buyers in Massachusetts. The automakers’ lawsuit stemming from the right-to-repair law is still ongoing. The state attorney general, Andrea Joy Campbell, said she would finally begin enforcing the law earlier this summer.
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