Automotive Industry Data Management

Automotive industry data management refers to the systematic management activities undertaken in accordance with the law by stakeholders across the automotive supply chain (including vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers, software service providers, dealerships, and mobility service providers) covering the collection, storage, transmission, usage, processing, provision, disclosure, and deletion of data generated throughout the entire lifecycle of vehicle design, production, sales, usage, operation, and maintenance. As vehicles evolve from traditional modes of transport into "mobile smart devices", an intelligent connected vehicle can generate 5 to 10 times more data daily than a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, establishing data as a core asset and pivotal factor of production in the automotive sector's digital transformation.

Regulatory and Standards Framework

Automotive industry data management has established a multi-tiered regulatory system comprising "Laws – Ministerial Regulations – National Standards – Industry Guidelines".

At the overarching legislative level, the "Data Security Law", "Cybersecurity Law", "Personal Information Protection Law", and the "Regulations on the Administration of Cyber Data Security" form the foundational institutional framework known as the "Three Laws and One Regulation".

In terms of sector-specific regulations, on 30 January 2026, eight government ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, jointly issued the "Automotive Data Cross-Border Transfer Security Guidelines (2026 Edition)". This marked a key transition in automotive data supervision from broad principle-based rules to granular, scenario-specific governance. Tailored to five core operational scenarios—R&D and design, manufacturing, autonomous driving, software updates, and connected operations—the guidelines define 27 categories and 51 specific items of important data alongside corresponding assessment criteria, replacing previous generalised provisions.

On the technical standards front, the "General Requirements for Automotive Data" (GB/T 44464-2024) has been enacted, specifying general processing requirements for automotive data alongside protection standards for personal data and critical data. Meanwhile, the "Intelligent and Connected Vehicles – Data Security Management System Specification" is currently under development, encompassing organisational management, data classification and grading, full lifecycle management, and risk assessments. Additionally, the mandatory national standard "Technical Requirements for Vehicle Cybersecurity" (GB 44495-2024) came into effect on 1 January 2026, incorporating key requirements related to data security governance.

Core Management Pillars

Identification of critical data serves as the prerequisite for effective data management. Under the "Security Guidelines", carmakers and enterprises must assess data systematically across four tiers: business scenarios, data categories, data items, and determination rules. For instance, in product testing scenarios, data collected from over 100,000 vehicles operating domestically, cumulative raw video footage exceeding 2,000 hours, or more than 10 million raw images are all classified under the criteria for important data.

Cross-border data transfer governance operates on a tiered compliance mechanism: transferring important data overseas, or cumulatively transferring the personal data of over 1 million individuals (excluding sensitive personal data) and sensitive personal data of over 10,000 individuals, requires mandatory filing for an outbound data transfer security assessment; transferring personal data of 100,000 to 1 million individuals (non-sensitive) can achieve compliance via standard contracts or certifications; whereas specific scenarios such as vulnerability patching, security incident handling, and OTA update package source codes are exempted from filing.

Full lifecycle protection requires enterprises to establish robust security capabilities across four key dimensions: administrative policies, technical safeguards, log management, and emergency response. Network traffic logs, operational activity logs, and security alert logs must be retained in a tamper-evident format for no less than 3 years, while outbound data transmissions must utilise cryptographic safeguards to ensure confidentiality and integrity.

Supply Chain Collaboration and Data Rights Management

The development of transparent automotive supply chains is moving from siloed operations toward collaborative co-development and data sharing. The industry standard "Automotive Industry Transparent Supply Chain Data Interconnection Scope" (T/CSAE 500.4-2025), rolled out in 2025, focuses on manufacturing quality control, defining for the first time the mandatory scope of interconnected data between upstream and downstream partners.

Concurrently, the "Rules for Rights Confirmation of Data Elements in the Automotive Sector" (T/CAAMTB 288-2025) aims to resolve critical industry pain points such as ambiguous data ownership and ill-defined responsibilities, fostering a benefit-distribution mechanism driven by the principle of "invest, contribute, and benefit".

Industry Outlook and Emerging Challenges

Amid expanding vehicle exports and closer global R&D collaboration, carmakers face the dual challenge of facilitating efficient cross-border data flows while upholding national security and safeguarding personal privacy. The "Security Guidelines" make it clear that the criteria for identifying important data will be dynamically updated to reflect industry evolution. As data compliance shifts from "static compliance" to "active, dynamic governance", automotive enterprises must cultivate inherent security capabilities across the entire data lifecycle to navigate increasingly refined and scenario-based regulatory standards.