The rise of connected car data is transforming how law enforcement conducts investigations. Connected vehicle data is rapidly becoming one of the most valuable resources in criminal investigations. Modern vehicles are no longer purely mechanical systems. Today’s cars are highly connected digital platforms equipped with embedded SIM cards, cloud connectivity, advanced telematics, remote diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and app-based user interfaces.
As a result, vehicles are becoming part of the broader communications ecosystem — and this evolution has important implications for law enforcement authorities.
How Connected Car Data Is Transforming Investigations
Connected vehicles exchange data with:
- Automotive OEM backend systems
- Telematics service platforms
- Navigation and traffic service providers
- Emergency call systems (eCall), which by law stay dormant and connect only when a crash or a manual call triggers them
- Mobile applications linked to vehicle owners
- Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) infrastructure
This connectivity enhances safety, convenience, and efficiency. At the same time, it creates new categories of data that may become relevant in criminal investigations and lawful disclosure scenarios.
Vehicles are no longer just physical objects at a crime scene — they are increasingly digital evidence platforms.
Why Connected Vehicle Data Matters
In many investigations, law enforcement authorities may require access to vehicle-related data such as:
- Historical or real-time vehicle location
- Subscriber or owner identification information
- Telematics event data
- Remote command logs
- Communication records between vehicle and backend systems
Such data can be crucial in cases involving:
- Organized crime
- Terrorism investigations
- Vehicle theft
- Missing persons
- Serious traffic incidents
- Cross-border investigations
When legally authorized, access to connected vehicle data can significantly enhance investigative capabilities.
The Role of Vehicle Manufacturers and Service Providers
The vehicle’s own mobile connection is an ordinary subscription on a mobile network, so the operator’s existing lawful interception obligations, and any national data retention rules, apply to it. What is new is the data held outside the network. Unlike traditional telecommunications interception — where operators provide standardized lawful interception interfaces — connected vehicle data is often controlled by:
- Automotive manufacturers (OEMs)
- Telematics providers
- Cloud service operators
- Mobility platform providers
Standards such as ETSI TS 103 976 let authorities map a VIN to the vehicle’s IMSI, IMEI or MSISDN, which can then be targeted at the network operator in the usual way. In many scenarios, law enforcement authorities must engage directly with vehicle manufacturers or their service partners to request data disclosure.
This introduces operational and regulatory challenges, including:
- Clear legal processes
- Secure data handover mechanisms
- Standardized technical interfaces
- Multi-jurisdiction coordination
- Data protection and compliance safeguards
Which legal route applies depends on the provider. Since 18 August 2026, the EU e-Evidence Regulation (EU) 2023/1543 lets authorities send production orders directly to providers in other Member States, but only if the provider’s service falls within its definition of a service provider. Otherwise national production orders or mutual legal assistance apply. The EU Data Act gives vehicle users access to their data but is not a law-enforcement access route.
Insights from ETSI TR 103 854 and TS 103 976
The ETSI Technical Report TR 103 854 (2022) studies an interface for lawful disclosure of vehicle-related data: a law enforcement agency sends a request to the organisation that holds the data (an OEM, telematics provider or other ‘Response Processing System’, called ‘Request Processing System’ in the later TS 103 976) and receives a structured response. It deliberately excludes live streams such as voice or video, which remain the domain of classic lawful interception.
The document outlines example use cases and recommendations. It addresses topics such as:
- Identification of relevant stakeholders
- Access to vehicle-generated data
- Example use cases such as VIN-to-IMEI, VIN-to-IMSI and VIN-to-location
- Cross-border cooperation challenges
- HTTPS and XML/JSON request/response exchanges based on the ETSI TS 103 120 message format, designed to work across borders
The study has since been turned into a normative standard: ETSI TS 103 976, ‘Interface for Lawful Disclosure of vehicle-related data’ (first published 2024, current version V1.5.1 of November 2025). It defines request types such as VIN-to-communications-identifier, VIN-to-location and VIN-to-connected-devices, uses the ETSI TS 103 120 messaging format, and sets mandatory security and audit requirements. ETSI’s work shows that vehicle data is now part of the lawful access landscape, mainly through lawful disclosure of data held by manufacturers and service providers rather than real-time interception.
Preparing for Future Requirements
As connectivity becomes standard across vehicle fleets worldwide, lawful access to vehicle-related data will increasingly require:
- Standardised request/response interfaces (ETSI TS 103 976, based on ETSI TS 103 120)
- Secure, auditable processing of each request
- Clear operational procedures between OEMs and authorities
- For the vehicle’s mobile connection, the operator’s existing lawful interception and warrant-management systems
The automotive sector is becoming an important stakeholder within the lawful access ecosystem.
Organizations supporting lawful interception, mediation, and compliance must be prepared to address these emerging connected-vehicle scenarios in a structured, secure, and standards-aligned manner.
Conclusion
Connected cars are transforming mobility — and they are also transforming investigations.
Understanding the technical and operational implications of vehicle connectivity is essential for regulators, operators, manufacturers, and law enforcement agencies alike.
ETSI TS 103 976, building on TR 103 854, provides the framework for understanding these new use cases and preparing for the next phase of lawful access in the connected vehicle era.
As a specialist in lawful interception and compliance solutions, ICS supports operators with lawful interception and data retention for vehicle connectivity and advises automotive and telematics providers on lawful-disclosure processes aligned with ETSI standards such as TS 103 976. Whether you need mediation platform integration, secure data handover processes, or regulatory consulting aligned with ETSI and 3GPP standards, ICS delivers the expertise to meet your obligations. Contact ICS to learn how we can support your connected vehicle compliance strategy.
The volume of connected car data available for investigations keeps growing as connectivity becomes standard in new vehicles. As more vehicles come equipped with always-on connectivity, the connected car data opportunity for law enforcement will only expand.
Related Articles
For further reading on related topics, explore these articles:
- OTT Lawful Interception in the EU: When WhatsApp, Teams and Telegram Must Enable Legal Access
- IoT and Lawful Interception: The Growing Obligation for LPWAN and M2M Operators
External Resources
The following external resources provide additional context and official documentation:
