Smart technology has turned vehicles into connected hubs, enhancing convenience and efficiency on the road. However, this integration comes with significant privacy risks that parents and caregivers need to be aware of. Today’s vehicles are gathering and sharing highly sensitive personal information far beyond simple driving metrics. This data can include the car’s real-time location, internal audio recordings such as conversations, internal and external video and images recording, communication records, and, in some cases, biometric details like heart rate, iris scans, and head or eye movements, depending on the car’s digital features.
Today’s vehicles are equipped with advanced technology that tracks and collects a whole array of data from nearly every aspect of your driving experience. Much like airplanes have a black box that collects all kids of data, so too do modern vehicles. The information collected by car and truck companies is often shared or sold to third parties, including advertisers, insurance companies, the police, and even government agencies. (1) Here are some examples of how this happens:
Vehicle Usage Monitoring
- Data such as how fast you accelerate, how often you brake, how hard you brake, were your seat belts on, or the routes you take are routinely recorded.
- Your radio preferences, GPS destinations, and even the content you stream are tracked.
- Mobile phones synced with the car can provide additional data, including contacts and call history.
Internal and External Sensors
- If your car has voice-activated controls, your conversations may be recorded. For example, earlier this year, Ford filed for a patent that would allow cars to record conversations inside the vehicle. (2)
- Tesla and other manufacturers use internal and external cameras, and some vehicles are equipped to record heart rate, eye movement, or even iris scans for advanced functionality.
Highly Sensitive Data Collection
- Tesla has faced backlash for sharing internal camera footage, which in some cases included sensitive or embarrassing content of users. (3)(4)
Here’s a great info graphic from Choice that shows what kind of data many of today’s vehicle manufactures are collecting (5):
The data collected by car manufacturers doesn’t only stay in their systems. Here’s where it often goes:
- According to Mozilla’s analysis, 84% of car manufacturers share or sell data to third parties, including advertisers and insurance companies. (6) This means your personal habits can directly influence your insurance premiums or be used for targeted ads.
- Over half (56%) of carmakers share data with law enforcement or government agencies upon request, often without requiring a formal subpoena. (6)
For families, the implications of such pervasive data collection are alarming. Cars have become places of vulnerability, where sensitive moments, like private family conversations or interactions, could be recorded without explicit consent. Imagine a routine family road trip where:
- Your car tracks not only the routes you take but also the conversations your children have in the backseat or,
- connected devices sync private communications or location history automatically or,
- Internal cameras record intimate family moments, potentially exposing them to misuse.
These concerns highlight the need for parents to prioritize privacy awareness when purchasing or using smart cars.
While it may seem daunting, there are proactive steps you can take to mitigate the risks associated with smart car data collection:
- Before purchasing or leasing a vehicle, ask for its privacy policy. Look specifically for what data is collected, how it’s used, and whether you can opt out of certain data-sharing practices.
- Turn off unnecessary connectivity features such as location sharing, voice recognition, or syncing your devices unless absolutely necessary.
- Disable or opt out of telemetry services that transmit data to manufacturers. Many sales representatives are unaware of this option, and some companies make it challenging to implement. Additionally, certain manufacturers may claim that opting out could limit some car functionalities, which is why they often discourage it.
- Ensure your car’s software is updated to the latest version, as manufacturers often release patches to address security vulnerabilities.
- Avoid syncing your personal devices unless absolutely necessary, and restrict the permissions you grant to the car’s infotainment system – this is especially true when it comes to rental vehicles
- Demand better data protection and transparency from manufacturers. Use your voice as a consumer to push for stricter regulations and accountability.
These concerns highlight the need for parents to prioritize privacy awareness when purchasing or using smart cars.
One of the best in-depth articles we have read on what car manufactures are collecting from both the driver and any passenger, was written by Sonja Reath titled “How to stop your car spying on you.” (7)
While it may seem daunting, there are proactive steps you can take to mitigate the risks associated with smart car data collection:
- Before purchasing or leasing a vehicle, ask for its privacy policy. Look specifically for what data is collected, how it’s used, and whether you can opt out of certain data-sharing practices.
- Turn off unnecessary connectivity features such as location sharing, voice recognition, or syncing your devices unless absolutely necessary.
- Disable or opt out of telemetry services that transmit data to manufacturers. Many sales representatives are unaware of this option, and some companies make it challenging to implement. Additionally, certain manufacturers may claim that opting out could limit some car functionalities, which is why they often discourage it.
- Ensure your car’s software is updated to the latest version, as manufacturers often release patches to address security vulnerabilities.
- Avoid syncing your personal devices unless absolutely necessary, and restrict the permissions you grant to the car’s infotainment system – this is especially true when it comes to rental vehicles
As vehicles evolve into sophisticated hubs of technology, they also bring significant privacy challenges that cannot be overlooked. For families, cars are more than just modes of transportation – they are spaces where important conversations happen, and personal moments unfold. The pervasive data collection by car manufacturers turns these intimate spaces into potential sources of privacy risk, raising critical ethical and legal questions.
Parents and caregivers have an essential role in safeguarding their family’s privacy. While many are vigilant about the data collected by social media platforms, or even their cellphones, equal attention must be given to the data harvested by the vehicles we use daily. From demanding greater transparency from manufacturers to proactively disabling unnecessary data-sharing features, there are steps we can take to mitigate these risks.
As our vehicles continue to grow smarter, our advocacy for privacy protections must grow stronger. By pushing for stricter data regulations, ensuring informed consent, and setting clear boundaries for data usage, we can ensure that convenience doesn’t come at the cost of our privacy. After all, the road ahead should be one where families feel safe, not just from physical harm but from the silent threat of invasive data collection. As vehicles become increasingly connected, our privacy shouldn’t take a backseat – excuse the pun.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
References
1/ https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a61711288/automakers-sold-customer-data-for-small-profits/
2/ https://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-in-vehicle-advertising-patent/
7/ https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/how-your-smart-car-tracks-you/
