Major car brands fail to adhere to data privacy standards, new study finds

New vehicle data privacy study overview: 

• Who: Mozilla released the findings of a study that examined the data vehicles collect from their owners. 
• Why: The study found none of the automakers do enough to “respect and protect” the privacy of their customers. 
• Where: The vehicle data privacy study affects consumers nationwide. 

Vehicles manufactured within the last few years are likely harvesting the data of their owners, including by keeping tabs on things as sensitive as their race, weight and sexual activity, among other things, according to the results of a new Mozilla study. 

The findings are part of Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included project, which involved examining 25 of the top car brands in the world, all of whom the study claims failed to “respect and protect” customer privacy. 

“Modern cars are a privacy nightmare, and it seems that the Fords, Audis and Toyotas of the world have shifted their focus from selling cars to selling data,” Misha Rykov, a researcher at *Privacy Not Included, says in a statement. 

Newer vehicles collect data in a number of ways, according to the Mozilla study, including with connected services such as a satellite radio or GPS route planner or telematics devices like personal cell phones. 

Automakers collect data through social media, data brokers, government, more, study says

A car company may also collect customer data through data brokers, car dealers, social media or the government,, according to the *Privacy Not Included project. 

This data includes names, birthdates, demographic data, debit and credit card numbers, mobile device locations, facial templates and biological characteristics, among a number of other things, according to the car data privacy study. 

Mozilla found 52% of the car companies it examined collected information related to the world around a vehicle, such as the weather, road surface conditions, traffic signs and “other surroundings.” 

Vehicles made these outside findings by using sensors, according to Mozilla, which said sensors could be technologically advanced enough to measure information as sensitive as an individual’s stress level. 

A similar survey released by the Automotive Association of Canada in August 2022 determined a majority of drivers do not understand the type of data their vehicles collect about them. 

Are you concerned about the data your vehicle may collect? Let us know in the comments. 

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