To date, remote vehicle communications such as OnStar have provided little in the way of privacy. The planned DSRC system will become the first large-scale nationwide direct public participation network outside of the internet. Much information and misinformation has been spread on what the upcoming DSRC system is and can do, especially in the information security community. The recent field trial in the US of a connected vehicle infrastructure raises the level of concern amongst all who are aware of existing privacy issues.
In this talk I will examine the current system high level design for North American vehicles, as set by international standards and used in a recent road test in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. I will consider privacy concerns for each portion of the system, identifying how they may be addressed by current approaches or otherwise considered solutions. I conclude with a discussion of the strategic value in engaging the privacy community during development efforts and the potential community role in raising privacy as a competitive advantage.