Open source code isn’t a warranty

Automotive software issues, such as the Jeep hack and Volkswagen cheating on emissions tests, have made headlines this year, which means the public is thinking about software in cars like never before. Some experts have argued that mandating that such software be open source is a solution to the problem. Although there are definite benefits to public scrutiny of the software, code visibility alone is no guarantee. As Sam Liles explained to me in a recent email, open source code didn’t prevent ShellShock.