The US government is trying to ban the Chinese social network TikTok from its jurisdiction over concerns about the collection of information on its citizens. They are also trying to stop any possible “espionage” methods. That’s why a ban is being prepared on operating vehicles in the US that use autopilot systems developed in China or built in other unfriendly countries.

Knowledgeable sources told Reuters that the US Department of Commerce will take action in the coming weeks. If the proposed changes to US legislation are adopted, vehicles with Level 3 and above autonomous software developed in China or other unfriendly countries would be banned from operating on the country’s territory. Such vehicles would also be banned from being tested in the US. Since Chinese software is predominantly used in Chinese cars, such a ban would be another obstacle to Chinese electric cars entering the US market, in addition to increasing tariffs in the near term.

A related initiative is considering a proposal that would ban the US from using automotive systems that rely on Chinese-made data transmission equipment. Essentially, this would limit access to US roads and cars that are not related to Chinese brands and Chinese software developers. American regulators have expressed concern about the ability of modern cars to monitor citizens using in-car cameras and listen in on their conversations while inside the cabin. Given that many Chinese cars equipped with advanced assistants have an interior video camera, such a threat is entirely technically real. American officials are also concerned about the possibility of taking control of such vehicles through remote access to in-car electronics. Industry representatives are expected to have the opportunity to attend public hearings on the issue.

Last Friday, representatives from various US government agencies met to discuss a plan to restrict the use of Chinese software in vehicles used in the US. Representatives from Australia, Canada, the EU, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain and the UK attended the event to voice their views on the issue. Prototypes of autonomous vehicles from ten Chinese companies are currently on US roads, and their potential threat to national security was raised by an initiative group of US lawmakers last November.