Your Car is a Data collector: Here’s How to Protect Your Privacy
Modern vehicles are increasingly equipped with refined technology, offering convenience and safety features – but also collecting vast amounts of personal data. From driving habits and location to personal contacts and entertainment preferences,your car may be sharing more facts than you realize.Experts warn that failing to manage this data can pose privacy risks, even after you sell or trade in your vehicle.
The proliferation of connected car technology means drivers are unknowingly generating a detailed digital footprint.This data is valuable to manufacturers, insurance companies, and potentially others, raising concerns about how it’s used and secured. A recent focus on data privacy is prompting calls for greater transparency and control for vehicle owners, particularly when it comes to wiping personal information before a sale or trade-in.
According to security researchers, modern cars track a wide range of data points. this includes location, speed, braking habits, and routes traveled.Infotainment systems also gather information about music choices, podcast listening, and contacts synced through smartphones. Mozilla, a non-profit fighting for a healthy internet, recently highlighted these privacy concerns in a report detailing the data collection practices of major car brands.
“Unless you take steps to remove your data, it could remain linked to the vehicle and potentially impact your insurance rates or even be accessed by future owners,” explains Chris Amico, a privacy consultant. He emphasizes the importance of performing a factory reset on newer vehicles to wipe personal data and disconnect paired smartphones.
When selling or trading in a car, notifying the manufacturer about the change of ownership is also crucial. Amico warns that without this notification, a new driver’s actions behind the wheel could inadvertently affect the previous owner’s insurance profile.”Now your record may be affected by somebody else’s driving – a complete stranger that you have no relationship with,” he said.
For those concerned about their car’s data collection practices, Mozilla recommends reviewing the privacy settings within the vehicle’s infotainment system and consulting the manufacturer’s privacy policy.
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Correction: This story has been corrected to show that the mozilla representative’s first name is Lauren, not Laura.
