October 16, 2025
Automakers already know their vehicles generate immense volumes of telemetry and behavioral data—from geolocation and driving patterns to sensor output and in-vehicle communications. These data sets underpin innovation, safety, and performance, but they are also increasingly viewed by law enforcement as valuable sources of digital evidence.
As connectivity expands, agencies are seeking access to these records more frequently and with broader scope, including logs, event data, and even audio or video from onboard systems. Wired recently reported that law enforcement training now includes instruction on how to leverage connected-car data in investigations.¹
This growing demand places automakers in a complex position: they are not only custodians of operational and safety data but also gatekeepers of deeply personal information that reveals where, when, and how drivers travel. Managing these requests transparently, lawfully, and consistently has become an essential component of corporate risk management and customer trust.
For established and emerging OEMs alike, the stakes are clear: missteps can invite regulatory scrutiny and reputational harm if data is perceived to be shared too readily or without oversight.
To safeguard both legal integrity and customer trust, automakers should establish structured law-enforcement response protocols that include:
Emergency data requests present the greatest risk of overreach. They bypass judicial review and rely solely on the requesting agency’s claim of urgency.
Automakers should approach these with heightened scrutiny:
Recent lawsuits against telecom and technology providers show that data has, in some cases, been released based on fraudulent emergency demands. Companies accused of responding without adequate verification faced not only reputational damage but also legal exposure.
As the auto sector sees similar “life-threatening” requests—locating stolen vehicles, abductions, or crash reconstructions—the same risks now apply. Implementing rigorous intake and verification procedures is essential to protect both brand and legal standing.
Transparency reporting, long practiced in the technology sector, discloses statistics about government data requests—how many were received, how many complied with, and under what legal standards.
In 2023, Senators Wyden and Markey urged major automakers to adopt these practices, seeking clarity on how often vehicle owner data is shared with law enforcement, what categories of data are involved, and whether affected individuals are notified.³
For auto OEMs, transparency reporting delivers clear advantages:
By aligning with frameworks such as Access Now’s Transparency Reporting Index, automakers can adopt global best practices while reinforcing a culture of responsible data governance.⁴
Connected vehicles have transformed automakers into custodians of vast amounts of personal data.
Establishing disciplined, transparent, and auditable processes for handling government requests is now a defining element of responsible innovation.
Whether through transparency reports, structured LERT operations, or robust emergency verification systems, forward-thinking manufacturers are treating lawful data disclosure as a specialized operational discipline—one that demands the same rigor as safety, engineering, and cybersecurity.
Many automakers are just beginning this journey. External partners and specialized compliance providers, such as ZGSS and others in the data-governance space, can help companies scale verification workflows, develop audit-ready documentation systems, and align with global best practices. The goal isn’t to outsource responsibility—it’s to accelerate maturity and resilience.