Posted on 09/09/2023 4:22:27 AM PDT by MtnClimber
More than half of the brands reviewed said they can share data with government when requested, without receiving a court order.
According to a new report published by the Mozilla Foundation, an American non-profit organization, automobile manufacturers are collecting vast quantities of data on drivers and passengers, with some even tracking drivers’—and passengers’— sexual activity.
Mozilla reviewed 25 automotive brands amongst 15 car companies. The results could be shocking to many. German manufacturer Volkswagen said it could record drivers’ voices to profile them for targeted ads. More than half of the brands said they can share data with government and law enforcement when requested, without receiving a court order. Moreover, the report stated that Subaru insisted the very fact of being a passenger in one of its cars implies consent to its privacy policy!
Japanese car manufacturer Nissan even said it could sell information about drivers and passengers’ sexual activity, intelligence, and health diagnosis to data brokers, law enforcement agencies, and other companies.
Jen Caltrider, lead researcher at Mozilla Foundation (incidentally, the nonprofit owner of the company running the Firefox Browser), said:
The amount of data that these car companies blatantly said that they could collect was shocking. It’s like nobody’s ever challenged them or asked them questions about privacy, and so they just include everything.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
We are rapidly becoming China where citizens are always under surveillance and “Social Credit Score” evaluation.
Oh wow. Are they doing that with my old Nissan Sentra? How?
Heavy breathing is detected by the microphone.
Why is no one inventing a way to block this? They would make a fortune.
https://www.honda.com/privacy/connected-product-privacy-notice
Just one example.
Privacy notice has become an oxymoron.
Ford’s...
https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/
GM’s...
https://www.gm.com/privacy-statement
Tesla’s...
https://www.tesla.com/legal/privacy
How are they collecting the data? Article didn’t say.
Don’t buy/use their navigation or “onstar” or “smart” type services.
Don’t use the blue tooth.
My audi a5 (2019 model) has a mic plus a system connected to my cellphone. Pretty sure the car is giving a coordinate back to the company.
From the original article (that AT used/linked)….
…. They found that the industry hoovered up massive amounts of data through dozens of sensors and technology built into newer car models that calculate people’s weight as they sit down, filmed the car inside and outside with cameras, listened to conversations through microphones and tracked users via connected apps on smartphones.
“It’s not just about selling cars to make money anymore. It’s about collecting data, and then using that data to make money,” said Caltrider, adding cars seemed to have worse privacy practices than mental health apps, smart home devices and wearables like connected headphones and fitness trackers.
Researchers also found that 84 percent of the car brands reviewed could share and sell data to other companies like data brokers, a market estimated in the hundreds of billions of euros according to some estimates. Just over half of the brands said they can share data with government and law enforcement when requested, rather than when receiving a court order.,,,
“Oh wow. Are they doing that with my old Nissan Sentra? How?”
Your phone, and license plate cameras, mainly. Also if you have a toll transponder, it can be read anywhere, not just on toll roads.
So can they swipe critical info from your iPhone as you drive and are paired for making calls and listening to music? Those agreements are very broad.
But the name E-Z Pass sounds so friendly.
“Heavy breathing is detected by the microphone.”
The windows are treated so that when they’re fogged from the inside Big Brother is alerted.
“How are they collecting the data? Article didn’t say.”
Great question. There must be some way to disable this nonsence. Something to disconnect or pull a fuse on.
This is the GM list and it is NOT all inclusive of info they will steal from you.
*identifiers (such as name, postal address, email address, screen name, account ID, customer number, and telephone number; in limited circumstances, GM may collect a Social Security Number, for example if you win a sweepstakes or receive compensation that must be reported for government tax purposes)
*payment information (such as your credit card number, CVV code and expiration date)
*information about your vehicle (such as license plate number, vehicle identification number (VIN), geolocation data, make, model, model year, selling dealer, servicing dealer, date of purchase or lease, the lease/financing term, service history, mileage, oil/battery status, fuel history, battery charging and discharging history, electrical system function, gear status, and diagnostic trouble codes)
information about your connected devices and how you interact with our products, services, apps and websites (such as IP address, browser type, unique device identifier, cookie data, and associated identifying and usage information)
*demographic or protected classification information (such as gender, date of birth, marital status, household composition, or veteran or military status)
*commercial information (such as when you plan to purchase or lease the vehicle in which you’re interested)
*audio or video information (such as information collected by sensors or cameras in the vehicle, recordings of when you speak with our customer call centers, or photographs and videos such as those that you may submit for contests, sweepstakes, and social sharing)
*physiological or biological characteristics, such as medical information collected to provide OnStar emergency services that you have requested
*biometric information (such as voiceprints, as described in the Biometric Technology Section below)
*information about your home energy usage (such as your charging and discharging of electric vehicles and stationary storage, charging preferences, use of home energy products and services, and rate plans)
*relationships you have with GM in addition to the purchase and servicing of your vehicle (such as through a My GM Rewards account, a GM Rewards Card or OnStar, etc.)
relationships you have with third parties in connection with your use of GM products and services (such as GM dealers, energy providers, companies offering or operating in-vehicle applications, and other companies we help you connect with)
*information related to My GM Rewards and the My GM Rewards Card Program (“GM Card”), including rewards points, account type, tier status, enrollment, redemption
investor and stockholder services information (such as name, address, phone number, email address, and account information)
“How are they collecting the data? Article didn’t say.”
Go the “privacy notice” of each manufacturer. The Ford privacy notice states Ford has built a mobile hotspot into the vehicle which broadcasts information to Ford about the vehicle, its usage and the GPS location constantly. Even if you don’t pay for the mobile hotspot plan for the vehicle, which allows you to connect your devices to this hotspot, the hotspot is sending data about you and your vehicle to Ford.
They are.
Which is why we always buy base trims, don’t pair our phones, and use the radio for music.
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