Congress rejected an effort to block a 2021 infrastructure bill provision requiring new cars to have driver-monitoring tech, which critics warn is bad news for privacy and personal freedom.

• The law requires new vehicles to passively monitor drivers and stop the car if it detects impairment, with the rule starting on cars made after 2026.
• Representative Thomas Massie tried to block funding for the program, but Republicans and Democrats voted together to keep it.
• Critics warn the sensors needed for this can also track heart rate, eye movement, and behavior, and nothing stops insurance companies or the government from using the data later.
• Ford has already filed patents for AI that watches drivers for distraction, and Tesla can already disable cars remotely.
• The fear is the tech gets used to disable cars over unpaid taxes, parking tickets, or other government issues, turning driving into a privilege the state can revoke.

Outlook: New cars will start shipping with this monitoring tech in 2026, and self-driving features plus insurance discounts are expected to push human drivers off the road within a decade.