WASHINGTON, DC – Alliance for Automotive Innovation today filed suit in U.S. District Court challenging the state of Maine over enforcement of its 2023 Data Law.
The challenge is necessary because “... a critical prerequisite for compliance with the Maine Data Law – an ‘independent entity’ to develop and administer data access to vehicles – does not exist.”
According to the complaint:
- Beginning January 5, 2025, vehicle manufacturers must provide access “through a mobile-based application” to an “inter-operable, standardized and owner-authorized access platform across all of the manufacturer’s makes and models.”
- The law states the “platform must be capable of securely communicating all mechanical data emanating directly from the motor vehicle via direct data connection to the platform.”
- The law also requires the Attorney General of Maine to “designate an independent entity... to establish and administer access to vehicle-generated data... transmitted by [that] standardized access platform.”
- The Attorney General has not yet established the independent entity... “Accordingly, Auto Innovators’ members have no ability even to start to comply with the Data Law.”
Statement from Alliance for Automotive Innovation:
“This is an example of putting the cart before the horse. Before automakers can comply, the law requires the attorney general to first establish an ‘independent entity’ to securely administer access to vehicle data. The independent entity hasn’t been established. That’s not in dispute. Compliance with the law right now is not possible.”
Right to repair:
- This Data Law is commonly (but wrongly) characterized as an effort to guarantee vehicle ‘right to repair’ in Maine. That already exists.
- Mainers can have their car repaired by any repair shop they choose.
- All the information needed to diagnose and repair a vehicle today is also already made available to all vehicle repair shops.