DOJ Orders Apple, Google to Hand Over OBDII App User Data in Emissions Probe

admin — Sat, 16 May 2026 11:56:46 +0000

The United States Department of Justice has subpoenaed Apple and Google to provide information on at least 100,000 users who downloaded the EZ Lynk Auto Agent app. It’s only the latest measure the federal government has taken against EZ Lynk, as the DOJ sued the company in 2021 while claiming it refused to cooperate with an Environmental Protection Agency investigation. At the heart of the fight are accusations that EZ Lynk purposely assisted customers in modifying their vehicles to violate the Clean Air Act.

User privacy is the major concern with this move by the DOJ, as Forbes highlights. The outlet points to a joint letter from EZ Lynk and the DOJ to the court, in which the former disputes the subpoenas’ validity, while the latter states that its lawyers want to interview individuals about how they used EZ Lynk’s products. Consumer rights advocates question why the DOJ would need anyone’s identities, addresses, and purchase histories to do so.

“These requests for potentially hundreds of thousands of people’s PII go well beyond the needs of this case and create serious privacy concerns,” EZ Lynk’s lawyers wrote. “Investigating this claim does not require identifying each person who has used the product.”

However, the DOJ says that anyone who agreed to EZ Lynk’s terms and conditions “no longer [has] a cognizable privacy interest as to that information.”

The DOJ also subpoenaed Walmart and Amazon to provide names and addresses for people who bought the EZ Lynk Auto Agent hardware.

Notice the bottom text in the left-side photo. ezlynk.com

There’s no question that drivers use EZ Lynk’s technology to defeat the emissions systems on their vehicles. You can find evidence of it across the web, with diesel truck drivers using it to reflash their engine control unit after removing the diesel particulate filter or exhaust gas recirculation system. But not everyone who has purchased an EZ Lynk Auto Agent or downloaded the app uses it for that purpose. It’s advertised to shop technicians for vehicle diagnostics, as well as fleet managers who need to monitor drivers’ electronic logging devices. It’s effectively a do-it-all OBDII tool that people can deploy for many reasons, including illegal ones.

Some may find the government’s continued pursuit of EZ Lynk surprising, given the EPA’s softened stance on enforcement. As far back as 2023, the agency has said that emissions defeat devices are no longer a top priority. It later announced that it would no longer pursue criminal charges over OBDII tampering. We’ve even seen President Trump pardon a convicted diesel tuner who was jailed for removing emissions components from trucks.

Nevertheless, the fight between the DOJ and EZ Lynk continues.

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Car Prices Hit $50,000. Now the U.S. Wants to Ease Emissions Rules

admin — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:02:31 +0000

The Solution to Rising Car Prices

A report from Reuters says the Trump administration’s top auto policy officials are seeking to lower vehicle prices by scaling back emissions regulations. This aligns with the fact that average new car prices surpassed $50,000 in December 2025.

Despite what some view as opposition to electrified vehicles, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the market should not depend on “government policy to encourage EV purchases while penalizing combustion engines.” That regulatory tilt was evident in recent automaker product strategies, with Dodge – a brand long associated with muscle cars – going so far as to discontinue the gas-powered Charger as the nameplate transitioned to a new generation initially led by an all-electric version.

Cole Attisha

The Policy Winds Change Direction

At the same time, combustion-powered vehicles appear to be regaining momentum, highlighted by the return of models such as the 777-horsepower Ram 1500 TRX. The shift follows policy changes under the current administration, including the elimination of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit and the removal of penalties tied to fuel-efficiency requirements. Even California – long viewed as a leader in EV adoption – saw its plan to phase out new gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035 rescinded.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Lee Zeldin reiterated that view, arguing the government “should not be forcing, requiring, mandating that the market go in a direction other than what the American consumer is demanding.”

So how can easing emissions regulations affect car prices? One factor is that automakers must invest in additional hardware to meet emissions rules and avoid penalties. This often includes electrified components such as electric motors that form part of hybrid systems. While these technologies improve fuel efficiency and performance – by operating in parallel or in series with an engine, as seen in Nissan’s e-Power system – they also add complexity and cost to vehicles.

Nissan

The Market’s Verdict So Far

The shift in EV policy may have weighed on brands such as Tesla, but overall U.S. new-vehicle sales still reportedly rose 2.4% in 2025 to 16.2 million units. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer added that the removal of EV incentives and the introduction of new tariffs are “not really getting down to the consumer,” suggesting that lower vehicle prices could still materialize.

The report also noted that the EPA is expected to finalize a rule in the coming weeks that would remove federal tailpipe emissions mandates.

Ford