Ed Markey, U.S. Sen. (D-Mass.), said Waymo's Philippine remote operators for California autonomous vehicles create safety hazards from latency delays and cybersecurity risks after the company's safety officer admitted the practice during a Senate hearing.
"That is completely unacceptable," said Edward John Markey. "Having people overseas influencing American vehicles a safety issue. Information the operators receive could be out of date. It could introduce tremendous cyber security vulnerabilities."
Markey delivered his remarks during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing focused on autonomous vehicle safety, following confirmation from Waymo's chief safety officer that the company relies on overseas workers to guide its vehicles. The hearing came after reports of incidents involving Waymo vehicles in U.S. cities. "That is completely unacceptable (...) Having people overseas influencing American vehicles a safety issue (...) Information the operators receive could be out of date (...) It could introduce tremendous cyber security vulnerabilities," according to Markey at the hearing.
In California, where Waymo operates extensively in areas such as San Francisco and Santa Monica, state records from the Department of Motor Vehicles show 22 incidents last year involving Waymo vehicles, many requiring remote intervention. These events highlight operational challenges faced by autonomous vehicles in dense urban environments.
Nationwide, autonomous vehicles face increased cybersecurity threats due to remote operations, especially when operators are located overseas. Senate oversight indicates this arrangement raises risks of data breaches and delayed responses on U.S. roads, while industry reports note that connected vehicle systems expand opportunities for potential cyberattacks.
Global analyses show that latency in remote teleoperation can cause critical delays in response times, increasing accident risk. Research points to network lags leading to visualization and control issues for operators abroad, compounding real-time driving hazards.
Markey has represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 2013, with a career focused on energy and consumer rights policy.
