New Ford patents and a federal mandate buried in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are raising alarms about in-car surveillance. The law requires new vehicles to passively monitor drivers and disable the car if “impairment” is detected, but that word is a dangerously broad umbrella. Beyond intoxication, Ford’s own patents reveal biometric data collected in the cab can be run against law enforcement databases without the driver’s knowledge. Rep. Thomas Massie has filed an amendment to strip the kill-switch mandate, warning the car dashboard could become “judge, jury, and executioner.”

AIRDATE: APRIL 30, 2026