When some people hit the road to flee an unsafe relationship, they don’t realize their escape vehicle could actually be reporting their whereabouts.

An investigation by The New York Times recently detailed how vehicle-connected smartphone apps can grant abusive partners access to a victim’s movements. Now, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel is seeking answers.

Rosenworcel wrote to automakers, including Ford, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz, on Jan. 11, asking them to detail the pre-installed connected elements of these “smartphones on wheels” and what they do to ensure that users retain control of their data and privacy. Due to the level of connectivity built into modern vehicles, Rosenworcel suggested the automakers could have compliance obligations under the Safe Connections Act, which helps domestic-violence victims leave phone plans that they share with an abuser.

She posed similar questions to major wireless providers, asking AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to detail the level of mobile integration they enable in vehicles.

A false sense of security in the driver’s seat isn’t uncommon, Crystal Justice, the National Domestic Abuse Hotline’s chief external affairs officer, told Tech Brew. One of the first steps toward eradicating technology abuse is better consumer education, she said.

“What we’ve heard commonly from survivors is they simply did not know. They did not find out until way after the fact that something was being used to track them, to listen to them, to know their location at all times,” according to Justice. “If we let people know on the front end that these things are happening, that these things are activated, it puts the power back in people’s hands to change that.”

Keep reading here.—KG

When you’re building a business or charting your own path in your career, it can be difficult to discern when roadblocks are challenges to push you further...or redirections that are begging you to go down a different path.

In this episode of BOSSY, Tara and Katie break down the most masterful business comebacks, accelerating out of stagnant career slumps, and when it’s time to rebrand “quitting” to “pivoting.” Watch it here.

The federal government has some good news for those looking to set up at-home charging for their EVs.

The Treasury Department recently released guidance clarifying eligibility for something called the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, or 30C. The tax credit is designed to help offset the cost of installing equipment like EV chargers on both public and private property, for businesses and consumers alike.

The tax credit, extended and modified by the Inflation Reduction Act, is just one facet of the Biden administration’s ambitious push to boost EVs to half of all new-car sales by 2030 and install 500,000 public chargers by then.

The guidance is significant, clean-energy advocates said, because it makes the credit more widely available.

“The guidance was a huge positive step in the right direction in getting a lot more infrastructure in the ground,” Albert Gore III, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association, told Tech Brew.

Gore said that the updated guidance expands access to the credit both geographically and makes it available on a per-item basis rather than per location.

“That’s going to dramatically increase the value of the credit,” he said. “What it means to the public is that there will be a lot more charging available as a result of this credit.” Later, he added that “it’s a really huge deal for transportation infrastructure.”

Keep reading here.—JG

The US government is piloting a new resource it says will help to “democratize” AI research as part of President Biden’s recent executive order around the technology.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and 10 other federal agencies have teamed with 25 private sector companies and nonprofit organizations to make assets like “advanced computing, datasets, models, software, training, and user support [available] to US-based researchers and educators.” Researchers can apply for access to the National AI Research Resource through an online pilot portal.

The goal of the new hub is to coordinate between the public and private sectors to catalyze AI research and ensure the country remains a leader in the new boom on the world stage.

“To continue leading in AI research and development, we must create opportunities across the country to advance AI innovation and strengthen educational opportunities, empowering the nation to shape international standards and igniting economic growth,” NSF director Sethuraman Panchanathan said in a statement.

Keep reading here.—PK