The Automotive Industries Association of Canada Announces Support of the Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.™ Campaign

Global support backing car data ownership for consumers grows with addition of Canadian automotive aftermarket association

OTTAWA, Ontario – November 18, 2020 – The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada today announced its support for the Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.™ campaign, adding to the already growing movement focused on ensuring consumer access and control over car data.

Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.™ is an Auto Care Association and Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) education initiative that engages car owners, policymakers, and other stakeholders on issues related to car data, including what it is, why it matters, and its implications for consumer choice. Without control of and direct access to the wireless diagnostic and repair information generated by telematics and wirelessly transmitted from cars, consumers could face greater inconvenience, increased costs and fewer options for repair and maintenance services. 

“The expansion of this campaign into Canada demonstrates the increasing support and urgency amongst the independent auto care industry to combat restricted car data access and control,” said Bill Hanvey, president, and CEO of Auto Care Association. “We’re thrilled to welcome our friends from AIA Canada into this growing operation and stand by their efforts to ensure Canada’s car owners have the right to choose who repairs their car.” 

“AIA Canada is proud to join the Auto Care Association and Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) in this vital campaign, which we hope will connect with drivers across Canada,” said Jean-François Champagne, president of AIA Canada. “This is an issue that has significant implications for the aftermarket industry worldwide, and we are excited to join the fight for both our industry’s livelihood and greater consumer choice.”

The support of AIA Canada will help increase awareness of the issues surrounding car access data and control in Canada. Educational materials hosted on the AIA Canada campaign website will help to raise awareness among industry and consumers about control of, and access to, vehicle data. The campaign will also encourage industry and consumers to take action by signing a petition that asks the Government of Canada to give consumers control of their vehicle data.

“Our campaign has engaged so many people because a vast majority of car owners agree they should have control of their car data to ensure choice on where and with what parts their vehicles are repaired and maintained,” said Paul McCarthy, president of AASA. “We welcome Canadian drivers joining the groundswell on this issue, which reflects the importance and global nature of this need to protect consumer choice and a competitive market for vehicle service.”

AIA Canada joins the already successful Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.™ campaign in the United States, which has secured nearly 30,000 signatures for its petition demanding the United States Congress ensures drivers have a right to directly access and control their car data. Last spring, Bill Hanvey authored an op-ed published in The New York Times that helped draw attention to the significant issues surrounding data collection and ownership in modern cars.  And just this month, on November 3, 2020 – Election Day in the United States proved to be a moment of victory for the auto care industry. Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly voiced their support at the ballot box for Ballot Question 1, which will preserve their right as vehicle owners to have access to and control of their vehicle’s mechanical data necessary for service and repair at the shops of their choice. 

AIA Canada represents more than 4,000 member locations across Canada in support of the entire automotive aftermarket supply and service chain. Canada currently has an estimated $32.2 billion¹ automotive aftermarket industry value and up to 491,800 Canadians employed in 2019.

For more information on the Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.™ campaign, visit yourcaryourdata.org and to get involved in Canada, visit www.vehicledataaccess.aiacanada.com. 

¹ 2020 Outlook Study: A Resilient Industry. October 2020. AIA Canada. Due to changes to methodology and the inclusion of collision and mechanical sectors in the 2020 Outlook Study, revenue estimates are not comparable to those in previous AIA outlook studies.