A bill in the U.S. Senate that would ban connected technology from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea in vehicles sold in the United States is one reading away from a floor vote.
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, officially filed as Senate Bill 4429, passed the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Wednesday and is now awaiting a third reading and floor vote.
“The Connected Vehicle Security Act illustrates that challenge,” Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, the committee’s chair, said in a statement. “This bill, introduced by Senator Moreno and Senator Slotkin, would shield the American automobile market from vehicles, software, and hardware from foreign entities of concern.
“The national-security risks are real, but so are the dangers of writing an indiscriminate measure. My hope is that, with some tweaks, this bill can put forth a durable framework to address national security risks without hamstringing industry competition.”
In short, the bill would not only restrict connected vehicles containing technology tied to China, Russia, Iran or North Korea. It also could affect automakers if companies or investors tied to those countries collectively own or control more than 15% of the company.
For example, Mercedes-Benz could be affected. Chinese investors hold nearly 20% of the German automaker, potentially placing it above the bill’s proposed ownership threshold if Senate Bill 4429 becomes law. And a vehicle may fall into the connected category if it:
To be clear, technologies such as Bluetooth, navigation and Wi-Fi would not be banned. Only technologies from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea would be affected.
If the Senate approves the bill, two likely legislative paths remain: