Biometric Surveillance in the Driver’s Seat
Starting July 7, 2026, all new cars sold in the European Union must include driver monitoring technology such as Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning (DDAW) systems and Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW) systems. These systems use infrared cameras to track eye movement, pupil dilation, and facial patterns to detect drowsiness, distraction, or impairment. Similar regulations are being considered in the United States under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop rules for advanced impaired driving prevention technology.
Privacy advocates and civil liberties groups have raised alarms about the always-on biometric surveillance these systems create inside vehicles. Infrared cameras continuously assess the driver’s state, effectively turning the car into a space where biometric data is constantly collected. Critics question whether the technology is fully ready for widespread deployment, citing concerns about false positives that could misclassify fatigue, disability-related facial patterns, or momentary distraction as impairment, potentially leading to denial of vehicle operation.
Data Privacy and Consumer Risks
The new mandate also raises questions about data flows and potential commercial exploitation. While the regulations do not explicitly require data sharing, manufacturers could upload biometric information to corporate servers. Critics warn this data could eventually be shared with insurance companies to adjust premiums based on driving behavior. The added hardware cost of $100 to $500 per vehicle is also expected to be passed on to consumers.
Consumer advocacy groups, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), have cautioned that the technology must not make drivers vulnerable to privacy invasions or allow data collection for commercial purposes. Experts recommend that car buyers review manufacturer privacy documentation, ask dealers about data retention and whether biometric data is processed locally, and disable optional driver scoring or usage based insurance features when possible. Consumers in some jurisdictions also have legal rights to know what data is collected, request its deletion, and opt out of certain data sharing practices.
Source: Malwarebytes
