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Shop with confidence with Lazada’s new return and refund policies

Enjoy up to 30 days return on LazMall orders and hassle-free Change of Mind

It’s a common scenario for many online shoppers: after spending hours browsing online, you finally purchase what seems like the perfect dress for an upcoming event. You eagerly wait for the package to arrive, only to find that when it does — the dress doesn’t quite fit you the way you imagined or the colour isn’t as vibrant as it had appeared online. Returning the product now seems like a hassle, but Lazada understands these challenges and has now introduced new policies to make your returns and refunds easier and faster!

Whether you have a change of mind, decide that a purchase isn’t for you, or encounter any issues with your goods, returning your orders to Lazada and getting a refund is now even more straightforward and efficient. Shop with peace of mind, knowing that Lazada is committed to delivering a more flexible and hassle-free shopping experience.

With Lazada’s new returns and refund policies, shoppers can enjoy several key benefits:

  • Enjoy 30-day easy returns for all LazMall and Choice purchases from the date of delivery. With this policy, shoppers are no longer rushed into making a final decision on their orders. Customers now have a whole month to carefully consider their purchases and can effortlessly request for a return and refund when they have a Change of Mind — whether it’s for clothing that doesn’t fit, electronics that don’t meet performance expectations, or home goods that don’t match their existing interior décor.
  • Lazada’s “Change of Mind” policy now applies to a wider range of products and categories across the Lazada platform. Customers are not restricted to keeping items that do not meet their expectations or needs. If you think the purchase is not right for you, due to style, size, or simply a change of heart, Lazada has got you covered.
  • Shoppers can now get faster refunds, as soon as an order is successfully returned to a logistics partner, either through drop-off or pickup. Thanks to an even more streamlined process, Lazada has significantly cut down on the waiting time to ensure that customers can receive their refunds without unnecessary delays. In some cases, refunds are also instantaneous upon initiating a return, so you can spend more time shopping and less time worrying.

At Lazada, returns and refunds are designed to be seamless. Whether you’re cancelling an order before it is shipped or returning an item after delivery, Lazada strives to simplify your online shopping experience to offer convenience and reliability you can count on. Now shoppers can be more assured knowing that whenever they’re shopping on Lazada, their orders are safeguarded by even more robust return and refunds policies that offer a smoother, more enjoyable shopping experience.

For more information on Lazada’s new return and refund policies, check out the Lazada app or click on this link for more information. Follow Lazada on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube.

 

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SM Retail truly has it all for you

The SM Retail Group truly has it all for the Filipino consumer and it continues to expand its portfolio to address the growing needs of its customers. From food, to fashion, home essentials to beauty products, toys to pet supplies, SM Retail continues to offer a wide array of products for the Filipino consumer.

All this and more will be showcased at the National Retail Conference and Expo slated for August 29 to 30, 2024 at the SMX Convention Center. This year’s theme. “Retail Today, Empowering Tomorrow,” reflects the dynamic evolution of the retail landscape.

As the Diamond sponsor of the event, SM Retail Group stands at the forefront, showcasing its commitment to addressing the growing needs of Filipino consumers.

SM Retail and its affiliates have become synonymous with quality, variety and accessibility, continuously adapting to consumer trends to evolve with the changing times.

Shaping the retail landscape in the Philippines, since its very first store opened its doors in 1958, SM Store has become the favorite one-stop-shop of Filipinos with the best product variety, unparalleled customer experience and value for money.

Under the umbrella of SM Retail are homegrown and global retail brands such as ACE Hardware, SM Appliance Center, Our Home, Crate & Barrel, Toy Kingdom, Baby Company, Pet Express, Kultura, Sports Central, Crocs, Dyson, Miniso, Levis, Forever 21, Ecco, Watsons, Uniqlo, Body Shop, and Innisfree. From trendsetting clothing brands known for stylish everyday wear to homegrown lifestyle stores, and personal care- SM Retail has got it all for you.

Under the SM Retail umbrella, and catering to Filipinos across the country -SM Markets carry the SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket and Savemore Market brands. Another marketplace within the SM Food Group is Alfamart, the first and only Super Minimart in the Philippines that is designed to serve the needs of local Filipino communities. Similarly, providing Filipino families a complete shopping experience, whether in-store or online, Waltermart is one of the fastest growing supermarket chains today. Whether it is for a quick snack from a convenience store or a full grocery haul from a hypermarket, SM Markets ensures accessibility and convenience for everyone.

Today, SM Retail and its affiliates take pride in offering a plethora of leading local and global brands known for quality and accessibility, and considered by many as treasure troves that cater to the various needs and wants of the Filipino consumer.

With the SM Retail Group leading the way, the Philippine retail industry is poised for remarkable growth, and transformation. Collectively, retailers, and industry enablers such as property developers, technology companies, and financial institutions along with a thriving supplier network, play a pivotal role in empowering the future of the Philippine retail sector, ensuring a vibrant and competitive retail landscape for the years to come.

 

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by publishing their stories on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

Law on alimony and conjugal property may have to be reexamined in case divorce law gets passed

FREEPIK

by Patricia B. Mirasol, Producer

The law on alimony, as well as the splitting of conjugal properties, may have to be rethought if the proposed divorce law in the Philippines gets passed, according to a law expert.  

The sharing of conjugal properties stems from the traditional setup of the wife staying at home to enable her husband to make a living for the family, Jemy I. Gatdula, the dean of the Institute of Law at the University of Asia and the Pacific, said. 

More women work nowadays, he pointed out in a July 3 interview. 

“In terms of alimony…there’s a presumption that the woman is not employed, but that has to be reexamined because it could also be possible that the woman is outearning the husband,” Mr. Gatdula said. 

“Some people could say that the woman should give the alimony to the husband,” he added, “but why should the woman give alimony at all, if they’re both earning money at the same time?” 

The Philippines is the only country in the world that has not yet legalized civil divorce, which ends a valid marriage through a legal process and decree by a court.   

The current avenues for married Filipino couples who want to separate is nullity of marriage (which renders a marriage void from the beginning due to reasons like bigamy), annulment (which renders a valid marriage null and void due to reasons like forced consent), and legal separation (which allows married couples to live apart while remaining legally married). 

A 2020 government census found that – while 39.2% of the population were married – more than 400,000 individuals (or 1.9%) were either divorced, separated, or annulled between 2015 to 2020. 

“In the case of nullity, the idea would be there was no marriage from the beginning, therefore the properties go back to where they were,” Mr. Gatdula told BusinessWorld. 

“In a divorce law, that would probably be the default position, but there’s also the possibility of encouraging people to have prenuptial agreements,” he said. 

The question of whether the spouses get to keep their respective properties in a legal separation, meanwhile, depends either on the circumstances or what they agreed upon prior to marriage. 

House Bill No. 9349, or An Act Reinstituting Absolute Divorce as an Alternative Mode for the Dissolution of Marriage, was transmitted to the Philippine Senate on June 10 by the House of Representatives. 

It lists marital infidelity and domestic violence as valid grounds for divorce. It also includes all the grounds for legal separation, annulment, and declaration of nullity of marriage under the Family Code. 

Articles 96 and 124 of Executive Order No. 209, or the Family Code of the Philippines, deals with the administration of community property and conjugal partnership. Both articles state that – although administration and enjoyment belong to both spouses jointly – the husband’s decision shall prevail in case of disagreement. The wife’s only recourse is to bring the matter before the courts. 

In the 18th Congress, Senator Pia S. Cayetano sought to amend Articles 96 and 124 in the presidential proclamation. Instead of the husband’s decision prevailing in case of a disagreement, the amendment proposes that the court decides on the case only after the spouses exerted efforts to enter a compromise but failed. 

The most damaging thing we can tell children are the fairytales where people marry and then go off to live happily ever after, according to Mr. Gatdula. 

“True life goes on after the wedding vows,” he said. 

“A better courtship culture – one that will allow our young men and women to be able to understand each other more, so that when they do get into a marriage, they know what they’re going into – is far better than having a divorce law,” he added. 

Philippines, Vietnam to hold first-ever joint coast guard exercise

"BRP TERESA MAGBANUA”, the largest patrol vessel (97 meters) for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)

MANILA – The Philippines and Vietnam will kick off their first-ever joint coast guard exercise in the Manila Bay this week, in line with a commitment by both countries to boost maritime cooperation.

The Aug. 9 drill is the first between the two Southeast Asian nations, which have competing claims over some parts of the South China Sea and have had run-ins with China’s coast guard in the disputed waterway.

During a state visit to Hanoi by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in January, Manila and Vietnam signed two agreements to boost cooperation between their coast guards and to prevent untoward incidents in the South China Sea.

Vietnam’s 90-metre ship CSB 8002 arrived at the port of Manila on Monday for a five-day port call.

It will carry out training exercises with the Philippines’ 83-metre offshore patrol vessel, BRP Gabriela Silang, on Friday that will focus on search and rescue and fire and explosion prevention, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officials said.

“In spite of the rivalry, (Philippines and Vietnam) are also claimants on the West Philippine Sea, it shows we can work together,” PCG Spokesperson Armando Balilo said. “Hopefully this will start a template that can be used even with China to de-escalate the situation.”

Manila refers to the waters inside its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines and Vietnam have filed separate claims with the United Nations to an extended continental shelf to recognize their entitlements beyond their 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Portions of the strategic waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks. – Reuters

CrowdStrike rejects Delta Air Lines claims over flight woes

WASHINGTON – CrowdStrike on Sunday rejected a claim by Delta Air Lines that it should be blamed for flight disruptions following a July 19 global outage sparked by a faulty update, and suggested it had minimal potential liability.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said last week the outage had cost the US airline $500 million and that it planned to take legal action to get compensation from the cybersecurity firm.

CrowdStrike reiterated its apology to the airline operator, but said in a letter from an external lawyer that it is “highly disappointed by Delta’s suggestion that CrowdStrike acted inappropriately and strongly rejects any allegation that it was grossly negligent or committed misconduct.”

Delta canceled more than 6,000 flights over a six-day period, impacting more than 500,000 passengers. It faces a U.S. Transportation Department investigation into why it took so much longer for it to recover from the outage than other airlines.

The CrowdStrike letter said that “any liability by CrowdStrike is contractually capped at an amount in the single-digit millions.”

Delta declined to comment on the CrowdStrike letter.

Within hours of the outage incident, CrowdStrike reached out to Delta to offer assistance.

“Additionally, CrowdStrike’s CEO personally reached out to Delta’s CEO to offer onsite assistance, but received no response,” the letter said.

Bastian told CNBC last week CrowdStrike had offered “free consulting advice to help us.”

Delta told US lawmakers last week in a letter seen by Reuters that CrowdStrike’s faulty update “impacted more than half of Delta computers, including many of Delta’s workstations at every airport in the Delta network.”

The letter added Delta’s “complex IT system which distributes and synchronizes all our data, including the data that feeds our crew tracking and gating software, required manual recovery.”

The CrowdStrike letter added that if Delta files suit, it will need to answer “why Delta’s competitors, facing similar challenges, all restored operations much faster” and “why Delta turned down free onsite help from CrowdStrike professionals who assisted many other customers to restore operations much more quickly than Delta.”

A CrowdStrike spokesperson said “public posturing about potentially bringing a meritless lawsuit against CrowdStrike as a long-time partner is not constructive to any party. We hope that Delta will agree to work cooperatively to find a resolution.” – Reuters

Bitcoin, ether sink to multi-month lows as recession worries take hold

JONATHAN BORBA-UNSPLASH

Bitcoin and ether tumbled on Monday to multi-month lows as worries over a possible US recession in the wake of soft data gripped financial markets and triggered a rush to safe-haven assets.

Crypto markets have gotten a boost this year after the US Securities and Exchange Commission approved an exchange-traded fund to track the spot price of bitcoin and ether.

More recently, however, bitcoin has fallen alongside other assets including global equities in a broad selloff as investors fear that a US recession could be on the horizon, with rising geopolitical worries also weighing. The cryptocurrency is off nearly 20% from its March 2024 high.

“It’s a big reminder that Bitcoin and crypto in general are risk assets and sit at the pointy end of the risk spectrum,” said Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG.

Bitcoin sank to $53,091, its lowest since late February and last fetched $54,112, while ether slid to its weakest since mid-January and was last down 16% at $2,300.

Sycamore said bitcoin is testing trend channel support at $54,000/$53,000 area and needs to hold that level to “prevent further capitulation towards $48,000.” – Reuters

North Korea’s Kim oversees delivery of new tactical ballistic missile launchers

KREMLIN.RU/EVENTS/PRESIDENT/NEWS/60363/PHOTOS-COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

SEOUL – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the delivery of 250 new tactical ballistic missile launchers to frontier troops, state media KCNA reported on Monday, which Seoul said he would use to threaten South Korea.

The launchers have been described by state media as a modern tactical attack weapon personally designed by Kim and ready to be transferred to Korean People’s Army units on the frontier with the South.

North Korea said it test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile last month.

“We believe (the missile launchers) are intended to be used in various ways, such to attack or threaten South Korea… Deploying near the border would mean that the range is not long,” Lee Sung-joon, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a media briefing.

In a speech, Mr. Kim blamed the United States for creating a “nuclear-based military block” that forced his country to further strengthen military capabilities.

North Korea has long condemned joint drills between the United States and South Korea as a rehearsal for invasion.

A spokesperson for Seoul’s unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs said North Korea’s illegal nuclear and missile programs were the primary threat to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

Pyongyang will have enhanced nuclear readiness in the near future to deter nuclear threats and protect itself, Kim was quoted as saying in the speech to troops and military scientists.

Mr. Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, attended the event, KCNA photos showed, making her first public appearance in nearly three months. South Korean lawmakers said last month she was being trained to become the next leader.

North Korea’s state media has reported on her public activities, but not on her political future. – Reuters

Australia raises terror threat level to ‘probable’ from ‘possible’

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Rebecca Lintz from Pixabay

SYDNEY – Australia on Monday raised its terror threat level to “probable” from “possible”, citing an increase in extremist views in the country leading to a more than 50% chance of the planning of an onshore attack in the next 12 months.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had raised the country’s threat level following advice from security services, but said there was no imminent threat of an attack.

“The advice that we have received is that more Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and it is our responsibility to be vigilant,” he told a news conference.

Australia lowered the threat level to “possible” in 2022, following eight years at “probable”.

Mike Burgess, director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the country’s main intelligence agency, said tensions in the Middle East, including a conflict between Israel and Hamas that began on Oct. 7, were a contributing factor to raising the threat level.

“The conflict has fueled grievances, promoted protests, undermined social cohesion and elevated intolerance,” he said.

Australia has seen several violent attacks in recent months, some of which have been designated as motivated by extremism.

In April Australian police said a knife attack on an Assyrian church bishop and some of his followers in Sydney was a terrorist act motivated by suspected religious extremism. – Reuters

APEC businesses propose new climate bonds, carbon credit network

TOKYO – Asia-Pacific business executives urged emerging economies in the region to issue climate bonds indexed to a basket of currencies, which would reduce the risk from foreign exchange fluctuation in raising funds for clean energy transition.

The group of business executives comprising ABAC, which is APEC’s Business Advisory Council, also proposed on Sunday launching a pilot program to develop a voluntary carbon market (VCM) for the Asia-Pacific region.

“What we’re trying to establish is an interoperable, or mutually tradeable, voluntary carbon credit network within the Asia-Pacific region that can accelerate the region’s transition to a low-carbon society,” Hiroshi Nakaso, head of ABAC’s finance and investment task force, told a news conference on Sunday.

Under the program, like-minded countries will conduct cross-border carbon credit transactions on a trial basis to identify problems and possible solutions, Mr. Nakaso said.

The Asia-Pacific region lacks cross-border standards or regulatory infrastructure for a voluntary carbon market, a mechanism that channels private financing into climate projects.

The proposals, compiled at a meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 1-4, underscore a growing awareness in Asia about the need for private and public sectors to cooperate in financing the huge cost of energy transition.

ABAC, an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) advisory council, will present its recommendations at the APEC leaders’ summit to be held in Lima in November. Peru is this year’s chair of APEC, a bloc that accounts for almost half of world trade.

In the list of proposals, ABAC called on governments in the region to issue 10-year bonds with interest and principal payments indexed to a basket of currencies.

Such bonds would give developing nations access to hard currency to buy solar farms and storage facilities, and mitigate risk from exchange-rate fluctuation for lenders, said Tom Harley, one of the task force’s project leaders from Australia.

Asia is among the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate-related natural disasters. It also consists of many economies reliant on fossil fuel or vulnerable to currency market swings, heightening challenges for energy transition. – Reuters

China coast guard monitors Philippine patrol boats in Sabina Shoal

PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

China‘s coast guard said it was monitoring Philippine patrol and fishing vessels that have gathered around the contested Sabina Shoal, citing China‘s “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

China‘s coast guard had been monitoring the vessels since Saturday, spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement late on Sunday.

Mr. Gan said patrol boats from the Philippine Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Bureau and multiple fishing boats have gathered in the waters near a Philippine ship which China has said was “illegally stranded” at the shoal.

The stranded ship “violates” China‘s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and “undermines” peace and stability in the South China Sea, the Chinese coast guard reiterated.

China refers to Sabina Shoal as Xianbin Reef, while the Philippines calls it Escoda Shoal. – Reuters

India plans tougher ad curbs on liquor makers such as Carlsberg, Diageo, Pernod

FREEPIK

NEW DELHI – India, which bans direct advertising of liquor, is set to announce sweeping rules that will bar even surrogate ads and sponsoring of events, which could force firms such as Carlsberg, Pernod Ricard and Diageo to redraw marketing campaigns.

Such “surrogate ads” often get round the ban by ostensibly showing less desirable items instead, such as water, music CDs or glassware garbed in logos and hues linked to their key product, and often promoted by popular Bollywood film stars.

Now they could bring fines for companies and bans for celebrities endorsing tobacco and liquor ads deemed misleading, according to the top civil servant for consumer affairs and draft rules being reported for the first time by Reuters.

“You can’t take a circuitous way to promote products,” the official, Nidhi Khare, told Reuters, adding that final rules were expected to be issued within a month.

“If we find ads to be surrogate and misleading, then even those who are endorsing (products), including celebrities, will be held responsible.”

For example, brewer Carlsberg promotes its Tuborg drinking water in India, with an ad showing film stars at a rooftop dance party and the slogan “Tilt Your World”, which echoes its beer ads elsewhere, emblazoned with the message: “Drink Responsibly”.

Competitor Diageo’s YouTube ad for its Black & White ginger ale, which has drawn 60 million views, features the signature black-and-white terriers from its scotch of the same name.

The changes threaten a seachange for liquor makers in India, the world’s eighth-biggest alcohol market by volume, with annual revenues Euromonitor estimates at $45 billion.

Growing affluence among its 1.4 billion people makes India a lucrative market for the likes of Kingfisher beer maker, United Breweries, part of the Heineken Group, which has more than a quarter of market share by volume.

Popular for their whiskies, Diageo DGE.L and Pernod PERP.PA, taken together, have a market share of about a fifth, while for Pernod, India contributes about a tenth of global revenues.

The new rules call for “prohibition against engaging in surrogate advertisement”, which extends to sponsorships and ads for products viewed as “brand extensions” that share the characteristics of an alcohol brand, the draft said.

Penalties under the new rules rely on consumer law, opening manufacturers and endorsers to fines of up to 5 million rupees ($60,000), while promoters risk endorsement bans running from one to three years.

Carlsberg declined to comment, while other companies did not respond to Reuters’ queries, including those on sales of non-alcohol products.

Members of the International Spirits and Wines Association of India, which represents Diageo and Pernod, “are committed to a compliant way of building brand extension businesses,” said its outgoing chief executive, Nita Kapoor.

The group was in talks with the government and supported advertising of “genuine” brand extensions, she added.

 

HEALTH IMPACT

The World Health Organization says bans or comprehensive curbs on alcohol advertising “are cost-effective measures” in the interest of public health.

Its data shows India’s consumption of alcohol per person will rise to nearly 7 liters in 2030, from about 5 liters in 2019, a period over which fellow Asian giant China’s consumption will drop to 5.5 liters.

And alcohol-related deaths in India stood at 38.5 for every 100,000 of its population, versus 16.1 for China.

Ms. Khare said India’s draft followed a review of global best practices, in countries such as Norway, which bans ads for alcohol and other goods relying on features of a liquor brand, in curbs that researchers say have cut alcohol sales over time.

The new draft rules prohibit marketing of items such as soda or music CDs employing a “similar label, design, pattern, logo” to that of alcohol products, explicitly targeting efforts to get around current bans.

Ads for items such as glasses and soda cans allow “brand names to appear in all their ads, creating its recall value for the consumers,” however, the draft states.

The new rules follow warnings to some liquor companies, such as Pernod, and some domestic tobacco firms to halt misleading ads, a senior government source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

India is not against brand extension ads, the official added, but wants them to properly depict the product being showcased, rather than giving consumers the impression that the ad is for a liquor brand.

One India video promoted by Pernod, ostensibly for glassware products linked to its whisky brand, Blenders Pride, shows Bollywood star Alia Bhatt walking a ramp under flashing disco lights, and saying, “My life, my pride.”

While it has a logo similar to that of the whisky brand, the video, which also appears on the website of the Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour, shows no glassware products. – Reuters

US expected to propose barring Chinese software in autonomous vehicles

Self-driving Car | Adobe Stock Photo

WASHINGTON – The US Commerce Department is expected to propose barring Chinese software in autonomous and connected vehicles in the coming weeks, according to sources briefed on the matter.

The Biden administration plans to issue a proposed rule that would bar Chinese software in vehicles in the United States with Level 3 automation and above, which would have the effect of also banning testing on US roads of autonomous vehicles produced by Chinese companies.

The administration, in a previously unreported decision, also plans to propose barring vehicles with Chinese-developed advanced wireless communications abilities modules from U.S. roads, the sources added.

Under the proposal, automakers and suppliers would need to verify that none of their connected vehicle or advanced autonomous vehicle software was developed in a “foreign entity of concern” like China, the sources said.

The Commerce Department said last month it planned to issue proposed rules on connected vehicles in August and expected to impose limits on some software made in China and other countries deemed adversaries.

Asked for comment, a Commerce Department spokesperson said on Sunday that the department “is concerned about the national security risks associated with connected technologies in connected vehicles.”

The department’s Bureau of Industry and Security will issue a proposed rule that “will focus on specific systems of concern within the vehicle. Industry will also have a chance to review that proposed rule and submit comments.”

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment but the Chinese foreign ministry has previously urged the United States “to respect the laws of the market economy and principles of fair competition.” It argues Chinese cars are popular globally because they had emerged out of fierce market competition and are technologically innovative.

On Wednesday, the White House and State Department hosted a meeting with allies and industry leaders to “jointly address the national security risks associated with connected vehicles,” the department said. Sources said officials disclosed details of the administration’s planned rule.

The meeting included officials from the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom who “exchanged views on the data and cybersecurity risks associated with connected vehicles and certain components.”

Also known as conditional driving automation, Level 3 involves technology that allows drivers to engage in activities behind the wheel, such as watching movies or using smartphones, but only under some limited conditions.

In November, a group of US lawmakers raised alarm about Chinese companies collecting and handling sensitive data while testing autonomous vehicles in the United States and asked questions of 10 major companies including Baidu, Nio, WeRide, Didi Chuxing, Xpeng, Inceptio, Pony.ai, AutoX, Deeproute.ai and Qcraft.

The letters said in the 12 months ended November 2022 that Chinese AV companies test drove more than 450,000 miles in California. In July 2023, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said his department had national security concerns about Chinese autonomous vehicle companies in the United States.

The administration is worried about connected vehicles using the driver monitoring system to listen or record occupants or take control of the vehicle itself.

“The national security risks are quite significant,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in May. “We decided to take action because this is really serious stuff.” – Reuters

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