Most of us know by now that cell phones and fitness trackers collect and share our data. But you might be surprised to know that your car is like that too. The real shocker, experts say, is that type of the information being collected.
In some cases, this may include personal information such as your sex life, sexual orientation, and religion.
Here's something to stew for the next time you're sitting in traffic in Washington, DC. All the sensors, cameras, and microphones that automakers boast about and that buyers may pay extra for are potentially collecting and sharing your personal data.
Your car may take notes every time you move, text or call.
This is legal and stated in the car's privacy policy. Many buyers don't read this policy, but they technically agree to it when they buy a car.
“Most people say, 'Well, I bought a car last year. I don't remember agreeing to the privacy policy.' And that's probably because you don't realize it, or at least you've never really noticed it. ” said Jen Kaltrider, a privacy expert at the Mozilla Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on improving internet safety.
Her team reviewed the consumer privacy agreements of 25 of the most popular car brands. We found that 84% of their girlfriends share or sell your data.
how Does the car company have your personal information?
Much of the information automakers collect when you do seemingly mundane things like downloading your car's apps to use features like remote start or connecting your phone to your car's Bluetooth system. Obtained from ordinary car owners.
“Connected services can also collect a lot of information,” Kaltrider said. “The automaker then claims that it can collect information from third-party sources: public information about the user, as well as information from government agencies and social media.”
Car manufacturers combine all the information about you from your car with personal information obtained from third parties and share or sell it to all kinds of companies that we know little or nothing about. He said that there is a possibility that
“People often ask me, 'How do you collect information about my sexual activity?' And I don't know if they actually do that,” Kaltrider said. “When I read the privacy policy, all I can say for sure is that I have to agree to the privacy policy.”
So what can be done about it?
Andrea Amico, founder of Privacy4Cars, says car owners no longer need to scrutinize privacy policy pages. His company has built a database where you can enter his VIN of a car and see exactly what kind of information it's collecting and how it's being used.
“Anyone can go to VehiclePrivacyReport.com, enter your VIN and we'll give you a free report card for your vehicle,” Amico said. “What did they collect? Where does it go?”
According to the industry-leading Alliance for Automotive Innovation, some of the data collected by vehicles can be useful to drivers.
The group said specific data could enable lifesaving safety systems, such as heart monitors in steering wheels and seatbelts that can sense if a driver is experiencing a medical emergency. ing. However, the Alliance agrees that privacy policies “may be a bit confusing given incidental collection and inferences drawn from, for example, where a vehicle has traveled.”
That's why they're asking Congress to pass a federal consumer privacy law that would provide car owners with very clear private policies. That way, there is no question about what information is collected and how it is used.
Privacy experts agree on this.
“It's nice to see regulators being pushed in a direction to try to take steps to protect consumers a little bit,” Kaltrider said.
Is there a way to opt out of vehicle data collection?
The answer is “kind of”, but there are consequences. For example, if you don't download the app for your vehicle, you won't have access to remote start or other features it offers. Additionally, if you do not agree with the Privacy Policy or any part thereof, your warranty may be void.
And it's not just the vehicle's privacy policy that's affected here. Radio apps, car emergency systems, and GPS apps all have their own privacy policies regarding how they collect personal information.