After much speculation, Apple has acknowledged for the first time that it is investing in autonomous car technology.
The tech giant wrote a letter to US transport regulators, in which it said the company was "excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation".
The five-page letter, penned by Apple's director of product integrity Steve Kenner, was sent in response to the proposed Federal Automated Vehicles Policy ? something Apple believes "will be fundamental to ensuring the safety and public acceptance of automated vehicles while providing a flexible path for innovation".
The company registered a number of car-related web domains earlier this year, but hasn't previously stated that it is working on a self-driving car itself. Apple has now asked that "established manufacturers and new entrants should be treated equally" when it comes to the imposition of new testing regulations for the vehicles.
The letter also proposes that all companies in the industry club together to share data from crashes in order to build a more comprehensive picture ? but adds that an individual's privacy should not be compromised by this.
"Data sharing should not come at the cost of privacy," it states. "Apple believes that companies should invest the resources necessary to protect individuals' fundamental right to privacy."
Apple was first rumoured to be working on an autonomous vehicle in early 2015, when r...