Excessive data collection by cars
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Car producers are forcing drivers to agree to invasive spying by locking them out of some car features until they comply.
Background
[edit | edit source]A study by Northeastern University in Boston and Consumer Reports found that nearly every car manufacturer is sending extensive user data to big tech and advertising companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. The data is sent by the vehicle itself as well as the corresponding companion smartphone apps.[1]
An earlier study by the Mozilla Foundation also found none of the cars they tested to respect the owner's privacy and called the vehicles a "privacy nightmare". In their research, the terms of service allowed manufacturers to collect data about "sexual activity, immigration status, race, facial expressions, weight, health and genetic information, and where you drive".[2]
Coercive opt-in practices, confusing policies and presumed consent
[edit | edit source]New cars with "smart" panels are forcing drivers to agree every time they start their car to sharing their information. If driver do not click Agree button panel is not usable, locking driver out of some features of the car. There is no other option than to agree.
Tesla even warns the user about turning off data collection:
This may result in your vehicle suffering from reduced functionality, serious damage, or inoperability.[1]
The Mozilla study notes that consent to personal data collection is often assumed merely by being a passenger in the car. [2]
It also found the privacy policies to be unusually "confusing, lengthy and vague" and requiring the user to read up to 12 different policy documents.[2]
Data breaches
[edit | edit source]Several automakers, including Volkswagen and Toyota have suffered data breaches in the past, in which sensitive customer data was leaked and later appeared online.
Consumer response
[edit | edit source]- Drivers in EU have right to request the data car producers collected on them.
- Car-savvy drivers have also taken to removing telemetry fuses and modules and either replacing them with aftermarket parts or keeping them disabled completely.
- Privacy-minded individuals do not use Apple Carplay or Android Auto as the phone and the car communicate amongst themselves sharing data and allowing the modern car to access the phone’s files (if proper protections are not set).
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kravitz, Derek (2026-09-29). "Your Car Is Sharing Data With Big Tech Companies, Study Finds". Consumer Reports. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Mozilla (2023-09-06). "'Privacy Nightmare on Wheels': Every Car Brand Reviewed By Mozilla — Including Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota — Flunks Privacy Test". Mozilla Foundation. Retrieved 2026-09-30.