Every major car brand’s new internet-connected models have failed privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla, according to findings from Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included project.
Car manufacturers, including BMW, Ford, Toyota, Tesla, and Subaru, collect a wide range of data about drivers, including sensitive information such as:
Race
Facial expressions
Weight
Health information
Sexual activity
Driving behaviors (e.g., seatbelt usage, braking habits)
Age and gender
Preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes
They may collect additional data not explicitly mentioned in the article.
Modern cars use various data harvesting tools like microphones, cameras, and connected smartphones.
The worst offender in terms of data collection was Nissan, while other brands like Volkswagen and Kia also had concerning privacy policies and practices.
From another recent article in the LA Times, they report that:
Nineteen automakers say they can sell your personal data, their notices reveal. Half will share your information with government or law enforcement in response to a “request” — as opposed to requiring a court order. Only two — Renault and Dacia, which are not sold in North America — offer drivers the option to have their data deleted.
Forget about your iPhone listening, cars seem to be as bad if not worse.
You thought they gave you all this subsidized tech for “free”? The best part is many people even pay extra for it. And to save $20 a month on their insurance install tracking software on their phones. No thanks…
Nothing is free. If it is that means you’re the product.
Anybody willing to opt in to an insurance tracker so that they track your driving habits so that they can classify you an unsafe driver or to gather data to deny claims or raise your rates is out of their mind
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