Third Eye Images via Getty ImagesShareThe rich get richer, except this time Big Government is fighting for the little guy. Yes, you read that correctly and, no, it makes no sense to me either. Apparently, the exception is right-to-repair laws which are being pushed bywait for ita bipartisan effort that is literally scolding automakers to quit gatekeeping everything and give consumers access to parts, services, and their own personal vehicle data.According to Ars Technica, on December 19, U.S. senators sent letters to several automakers. Hardly love notes, the head honchos of Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen were put on blast and accused of being money-grabbing hypocrites. Okay, so, the pot is calling the kettle black, but the pot also isnt wrong.Led by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Josh Hawley (R-MO), the bipartisan letter notes that 70 percent of car parts and services currently come from independent outlets. At the same time, OEM-supported dealerships and suppliers are generally rated poorly, particularly on pricing and affordability.We need to hit the brakes on automakers stealing your data and undermining your right-to-repair, said Senator Merkley in a statement. Time and again, these billionaire corporations have a double standard when it comes to your privacy and security: claiming that sharing vehicle data with repair shops poses cybersecurity risks while selling consumer data themselves.Automakers argue that the right-to-repair movement poses a safety risk because an open data platform becomes a requirement, such as in Massachusetts. However, Big Auto says giving third-party access to what should be proprietary manufacturer data opens up a can of cybersecurity and privacy worms. The trade group formerly known as the Auto Alliance went so far as to create a scare campaign to dissuade voters, suggesting that data access would expose people to increased stalking and violence, especially women.Senators call BS, pointing out that OEMs already share sensitive vehicle and owner information with insurance companies and other third partiesas long as it benefits them. The bipartisan group says at least 37 auto companies have been identified as part of what amounts to a connected car collective whose focus is monetizing the vehicle data they claim must be kept close to the vest.Right-to-repair laws support consumer choice and prevent automakers from using restrictive repair laws to their financial advantage, reads the non-love letter. It is clear that the motivation behind automotive companies avoidance of complying with right-to-repair laws is not due to a concern for consumer security or privacy, but instead a hypocritical, profit-driven reaction.Whats next? Some holiday homework.Per the letter, automakers have a January 6 deadline to submit answers to a multi-part questionnaire. The senators ask how vehicle and driver data are collected, stored, secured, and shared. OEMs are also tasked with listing all the cybersecurity breaches within the last five years as well as fess up to their anti-right-to-repair lobbying, including the dollar amount spent for such efforts. So far, no automaker has publicly responded to the lawmakers letter or addressed its concerns.