Avis Class Action Says In-Car Technology Stores Customer Data

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An Avis customer has filed a class action lawsuit over concerns about data security and poor safeguards in place by the car rental company.

The lead plaintiff in the Avis class action lawsuit, Steve Kramer, argues that he and other consumers who rented a vehicle on a short-term basis from Payless Car Rental, Zipcar, Avis Rent a Car, and Budget Rent a Car might be exposed to potential data breaches.

Kramer says that security issues are raised when a driver renting a vehicle from these companies pairs their smartphone with in-car technology, such as a GPS or an infotainment system.

The Avis class action lawsuit seeks to represent a proposed Class of people who rented a car from the above-mentioned companies from Dec. 31, 2015 through the present and who paired their phone with the rented car.

The plaintiff states that when a smartphone is paired to the rental car’s system that drivers might have their personal and sensitive information exposed and ultimately stored on that rental technology.

The Avis class action lawsuit states that multiple different personally identifying data points are connected and stored through the rental car system, including the device name and identifier, the GPS history of past points of interest and locations, contacts and address book, internet search history, call log or text message log if the driver enables hands-free calling, and other personal communications.

The Avis class action lawsuit claims that even though many car rentals are short-term in nature that the company refuses to carry out routine data-clearing or deletion of the private data captured from the previous driver.

Kramer says that this could easily be accomplished with the other routine maintenance processes conducted when a driver returns a car.

The Avis rental car class action points out that because of these issues, any private data captured by the rental car from the Bluetooth connection means that future users of that same vehicle could misuse the information obtained.

The Avis class action lawsuit states that this exposes rental car drivers to identity theft and other privacy concerns.

The Avis rental car class action lawsuit also claims that the defendant has not made appropriate disclosures to consumers about the collection and indefinite storage of personal data if the driver pairs their phone with the rental vehicle.

The Avis class action lawsuit seeks to represent a proposed Class of California residents and non-California residents who rented a car while in California who paired their smartphone with in-vehicle technology.

The proposed Class is represented by Michael R. Reese and George V. Granade of Reese LLP and David A. Carroll, Anthony J. DiRaimondo, and Robert E. Opdyke of Rice Reuther Sullivan & Carroll LLP.

The Avis Rental Car Class Action Lawsuit is Steve Kramer v. Avis Budget Group Inc., Case No. 37-2018-000067024-CU-BT-CTL, in the Superior Court for the State of California, County of San Diego.