Mozilla’s buyer’s guide on car privacy issues highlights the growing concerns surrounding the lack of privacy in modern cars. Integrity has been called into question in the data collection practices of car makers with trackers, cameras, microphones, and sensors capturing every move, driving a car has become a privacy nightmare.
The Mozilla Foundation tested 25 car brands and found all failed the consumer privacy tests. The research revealed that 84 percent of car companies review, share, or sell data collected from car owners. This information is often used for purposes unrelated to the operation of the vehicle or the relationship between the car brand and its owners.
Furthermore, more than half of these companies stated that they can share consumer information with the government or law enforcement in response to informal requests, without the need for a court order.
Too Much Information Available
One worrying point highlighted is six car companies can collect intimate information, including medical and genetic information. Furthermore, details on a person’s driving habits and music preferences while in the car.
In terms of individual car brands, Nissan and Tesla were among the worst offenders. Nissan’s privacy policy raised eyebrows by mentioning their ability to share “inferences” to create profiles reflecting preferences, characteristics, behavior, and even sexual activity. Kia also mentioned the collection of information about a person’s sex life in their privacy policy.
The Pick of The Bunch
Only two brands, Renault and Dacia, mentioned that drivers have the right to delete their personal data. These brands are headquartered in Europe, where customers are protected by privacy laws under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Unfortunately, controlling the collection and outflow of data is a difficult task for car buyers. After spending over 600 hours researching privacy practices, the report highlighted there were still questions unanswered.
Privacy policies fail to give a full understanding of how data is used and shared, leaving consumers at a disadvantage.
In response to these privacy concerns, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing car makers, sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership, showing their support for protecting consumer privacy. They emphasized the need for privacy laws to prevent data accumulation for tailored ad targeting and marketing and to address cyber security breaches that can lead to massive information theft.
However, until such laws are in place, the report concludes that consent is merely an illusion. Car owners will be vulnerable to data collection practices of car makers.
Lastly, To learn more about this issue, read the full Mozilla Foundation report. It sheds light on the privacy landscape in the auto industry.