EU mandates in-cabin driver monitoring cameras

Mandating interior camera surveillance under the banner of road safety represents a permanent encroachment on cabin privacy, normalizing constant driver monitoring under the promise of safety.

* **Normalizing Cabin Surveillance:** Even with strict GDPR alignment and closed-loop local processing, placing mandatory, un-bypassable cameras pointing directly at drivers sets a precedent for inside-vehicle surveillance.

* **Technological Limitations and False Warnings:** These systems can struggle with drivers wearing sunglasses, varying facial characteristics, or unique gaze habits, causing high false-alarm rates and alert fatigue.

* **Future Function Creep:** Once the physical cameras are standard in every new car, insurers, automakers, and law enforcement will inevitably push to access or log this data during accident investigations or for premium modeling.

* **Cost Barriers for Affordable Cars:** Requiring active driver monitoring hardware and software raises production costs, disproportionately impacting the price of entry-level vehicles.