# Plain Language Summary: Closing the Warrantless Digital Car Search Loophole Act of 2021

Right now, police can search certain digital information in your car without getting a warrant from a judge. This bill would close that loophole by requiring law enforcement to get a warrant before accessing the digital data stored in your vehicle—things like your GPS location history, phone connections, entertainment system records, or any other electronic information your car collects and stores.

Think of it this way: if police want to read the contents of your phone, they need a judge's permission first. This bill says the same rule should apply to your car's digital systems. Currently, there's a gray area in the law where police can sometimes access this information without that judicial oversight, and the bill aims to eliminate that gap. This protects your privacy by making sure that before law enforcement can dig into your car's electronic records, they have to convince a judge there's good reason to do so—just like they would for any other personal information.

The practical effect is straightforward: your car's digital data gets the same legal protection as other private information you own. Police would still be able to investigate crimes and access this data when they have legitimate reasons, but they'd have to follow the same legal process everyone else does. This applies to all vehicles with digital systems that store data, which includes most modern cars sold today.

Closing the Warrantless Digital Car Search Loophole Act of 2021

Khanna, Ro

Closing the Warrantless Digital Car Search Loophole Act of 2021 This bill generally prohibits investigative and law enforcement officers from accessing vehicle data (onboard and telematics data in a noncommercial vehicle, such as navigation data and data captured by onboard sensors or cameras) unless pursuant to a warrant. Vehicle data acquired in violation of this bill is inadmissible as evidence in any trial, hearing, or other legal proceeding.