U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s heart is in the right place as he introduced the Countering Adversary Reconnaissance Act of 2024, even if the details need a little work.

The measure’s aim is to “protect U.S. national security facilities, critical infrastructure and American citizens by prohibiting connected vehicles produced in China and other adversaries near U.S. military bases and other federal installations.”

Brown, D-Ohio, asserts the information and communications technology in internet-connected vehicles can collect sensitive information that poses a security risk.

“Chinese connected cars collect vast amounts of data, making them a threat to our national security and Ohioans’ privacy — we can’t let them near our military bases, and should not let them into the country to begin with,” said Brown. “Our bill will help stop Chinese connected vehicles from infiltrating the American market and getting a foothold in this country.”

One wonders whether the next step will be banning smart handheld devices with Chinese-controlled apps from any proximity to those same facilities.

But just because we’ve already let one technological invader get past our scrutiny, there is no need to ignore another. Brown is probably right to want stricter control of such vehicles. Even better, he seems to understand enforcement will be quite a challenge. The legislation would enlist the help of the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Commerce, Defense and the national intelligence director and U.S. attorney general to come up with regulations to ENFORCE the prohibition of connected vehicles.

“Chinese-made cars and the underlying technology enable the Chinese Communist Party to access sensitive personal data of Americans and of critical U.S. infrastructure, presenting unacceptable national security risks,” Brown’s office said in a news release.

There is a fine line to walk when government starts talking about restricting freedoms to purchase certain items or to move in certain areas. But we’ve gotten it right before, and we can again. The concerns that inspired Brown to unveil the CAR Act are valid.

Now the challenge will be doing the difficult work to get it right.