AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 47 and Title 55, relative to data privacy.
SB0195 creates a new Tennessee consumer privacy rule for vehicle-generated data. It defines several categories of vehicle technology and data, including advanced driver assistance systems, infotainment systems, telematics systems, and “driving data,” which covers information collected by a vehicle’s sensors, GPS, connected applications, and related systems. The bill generally prohibits an entity from sharing, selling, or otherwise distributing a vehicle’s driving data without the express written consent of the vehicle owner.
Before collecting or using that data, an entity must provide the owner or purchaser with disclosures explaining that driving data will be collected, how it will be collected, and why. The bill also requires notice that the data cannot be shared or sold without explicit written consent. If the vehicle is sold, the entity must obtain written consent from the new owner before continuing to share the data. Consent must be renewed annually, and the entity must provide an easy way for the owner to revoke consent, including through a website or app.
The bill includes an exception for sharing driving data with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other state or federal entities when required by law. It also makes a violation of the new section a violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, treating it as an unfair or deceptive act or practice and subjecting violators to the Act’s penalties and remedies. The act would take effect July 1, 2025, and would apply only to conduct occurring on or after that date.
The bill’s impact would be to add a specific privacy framework for connected vehicles and the automotive data ecosystem in Tennessee, affecting vehicle manufacturers, dealers, telematics providers, and third parties acting on their behalf. It would give vehicle owners stronger control over data generated by their cars and limit secondary use, sale, or distribution of that data without consent. By tying enforcement to the Consumer Protection Act, the bill creates a meaningful compliance and liability mechanism for businesses handling vehicle data.
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded public sentiment or identified controversy in the supplied materials. Based on the text alone, the bill appears aimed at consumer privacy protection rather than restricting safety-related government data sharing, with the main policy balance centered on owner consent versus industry data practices.
SB0195 would amend Tennessee consumer protection law by adding a new section governing the collection, disclosure, sale, and distribution of vehicle driving data. It would require express written consent from vehicle owners, mandate disclosures and revocation mechanisms, and make violations enforceable under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act as unfair or deceptive practices. The bill would primarily affect vehicle manufacturers, dealers, telematics and infotainment providers, and third-party data handlers, while preserving disclosures to federal and state agencies as allowed by law.
No committee transcripts or vote records were provided, so there is no documented sentiment from legislative debate or voting history. From the bill text, the measure appears consumer-protective and privacy-focused, suggesting likely support from privacy advocates and potential concern from automotive and data-industry stakeholders over compliance burdens and limits on data use.
The main potential point of contention is the restriction on sharing, selling, or distributing vehicle driving data without express written consent, especially given the broad definition of driving data and the annual consent renewal requirement. Vehicle manufacturers, connected-car service providers, and data brokers may view the bill as burdensome or disruptive to existing business models, while consumer privacy advocates would likely support the added control for vehicle owners. The bill’s exception for government and safety-related disclosures may reduce concern about law-enforcement or regulatory access, but the scope of covered data and the enforcement mechanism under the Consumer Protection Act could still be debated.