BOSTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday

rejected a challenge by a group representing automakers to a

Massachusetts voter-approved measure that expanded access to

vehicle data and allowed independent shops to repair

increasingly sophisticated automotive technology.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Denise Casper in Boston

marked a defeat for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a

trade association representing General Motors ( GM ), Volkswagen

, Stellantis ( STLA ), and other automakers that

challenged the law.

The group sued after voters in November 2020 approved a

ballot measure revising the state's 2013 "Right to Repair" law

to require automakers to provide expanded access to mechanical

and electronic repair data.

The alliance had no immediate comment.

Unprecedented advancements in modern vehicles and crash

avoidance systems have prompted many automakers to limit

information and warranties to only parts and repairs from

authorized dealers to ensure safety and privacy.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation argued the measure

impermissibly forces automakers to degrade cybersecurity

controls related to safety- and emissions-critical vehicle

functions.

The group claimed the measure unconstitutionally conflicted

with federal laws governing those functions, the National

Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Clean Air Act.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, a

Democrat, countered that the measure allowed manufacturers to

establish a standardized system run by a third-party to

authorize access to diagnostic systems by independent repair

shops.

The lawsuit had gone to trial before a different judge in

2021. Following a four-year wait for a decision from U.S.

District Judge Douglas Woolock, the case was reassigned in

January in Casper, who moved to quickly resolve it.

Casper, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama,

on Tuesday dismissed the trade group's claims. She temporarily

sealed her decision so the parties could discuss whether any

aspects of it should be redacted.