Data is Valuable, What’s Your Vehicle Doing With Yours?
We pop into our cars multiple times a day for work, errands, or the odd adventure and hardly give it a thought. But with the advancement of the computer systems under the hood, our vehicle has become a sophisticated data collection device.
And that data is for sale.
This topic lives rent-free in my brain and has for some time now, see evidence here. But it’s been a few years since I’ve actually looked into it and I thought, hey why not now?
It makes sense that automotive manufacturers would want to collect data on how and where we drive, aka telematics. After all, they need to ensure that they are meeting the needs of their customers, right?
Even back in 2019, Geoffrey Fowler wanted to know more. He checked the owner’s manual of his car—no info on data sharing. He checked his dashboard—nothing. So, he dug deeper and found someone to help him pull out the dashboard of a friend’s Chevy Volt and extract the infotainment computer. Then they interrogated it.
They found out that the vehicle was tracking much more than they had suspected.
Destinations were recorded, even if navigation wasn’t used. Phone identifiers, phone call logs, contact lists with email, photos, and even addresses were all being collected and sent back to the manufacturer. And according to GM (the manufacturer of the Chevy Volt), they could keep that information “as long as necessary.”
A lot has changed since 2019.
For one thing, almost all vehicles sold in the United States these days come already linked to the internet. In fact, there are multiple interconnected computer systems all collecting data from sensors located all over the car.
The manufacturers are also collecting more data.
Both the vehicle and the manufacturers app (if you installed one) are grabbing diagnostic data, aka “vehicle health data” that can reveal service issues, track recalls, contribute to research, and more.
They continue to gather location information, which is vital in an emergency. But location can also be used in mapping and accumulating details about the driving environment.
Your daily driving and maintenance habits can be sent to insurance companies to alter premiums, which could benefit you or be a disadvantage.
Radio listening habits can be used for advertising to alter your craving for a frappuchio vs a frosty milkshake. Data has been sent to banks, pharmaceutical companies, lenders, retailers, and tech companies including Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and others.
Once you plug in your smartphone for a quick charge, everything you have in it is up for grabs. Call logs, contacts, text messages, as well as app data.
Coming soon, face recording data to track driver attention and habits. (Secret nose pickers, beware!)
And just for fun, each manufacturer differs in the amount of data they collect and who they share it with. Automakers have been fined and even taken to court over data sharing.
Several automotive manufacturers note that apps and services are opt-in, meaning that drivers consent to providing their data when the register for the app/service. However, various popular features won’t operate without opting in, and in some cases the car becomes undrivable. And let’s all be honest, when was the last time you thoroughly read the terms and agreements section before clicking to accept?
Thankfully, many states have identified these privacy concerns and have either passed or are working on legislation to defend us.
In the meantime, here are some ways you can safeguard your data.
Check out Privacy4Cars’ Vehicle Privacy Report to find out exactly what kind of data your specific vehicle is gathering.
Disable data sharing in the vehicle app privacy settings and opt out of sharing with a third party. Read everything carefully to ensure you don’t accidentally opt out of something you want (like vehicle SOS.)
File a privacy request with the manufacturer for more information on the data they collect and who they share it with. Some manufacturers will grant all requests, but some only grant requests in states with a “right to know/access” legislation. Can check here for current legislation.
Customer Service for Privacy Opt In/Out Requests
Audi/Volkswagen: 1-800-822-8987
BMW: 1-800-831-1117
Chrysler/FCA Group: 1-866-221-6871
Ford: 1-800-392-3673
General Motors: 1-866-MYPRIVACY
Honda: 1-888-528-7876
Hyundai: 1-800-633-5151
Kia: 1-800-333-4KIA
Lexus: 1-800-255-3987
Lincoln: 1-800-521-4140
Nissan: 1-844-711-8100
Tesla: 1-877-798-3752 or 1-888-518-3752
Toyota: 1-800-331-4331
You can also go old school and drive an older car without all the connectivity or even just use a cigarette lighter charger instead of plugging your smartphone into the infotainment center.
One thing is for certain, the ways our data gets out and about will continually evolve, and we need to at least be aware of it. Spread the word and stay safe out there.
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