Does sex in a car turn you on? If you are interested in protecting your privacy, you should avoid putting it into practice. For its buying guide “*Data protection not included (*DNI)”, Mozilla tested 25 car brands in terms of data protection compliance and found: Modern cars collect large amounts of data, some of which is highly sensitive , and there are considerable concerns about data security. The data collected includes, among other things, information about sex life, genetic data or details about destinations, which can also be given or sold to third parties – including governments in most cases.
A guest article by Justin Tiffnig
25 car brands from five countries, including BMW, VW, Ford, Audi and Tesla, were examined in the extensive research spanning 600 hours, during which the data protection declarations of automobile manufacturers were studied. All of these failed data protection tests regarding the protection of drivers’ privacy. *According to the DNI, car manufacturers collect too much data – i.e. more than necessary to run the vehicles or for customer service purposes – and in most cases can share or sell this data and drivers do not have control over their data. Let’s give. What is particularly worrying is that it cannot be said whether the personal information present in the car is encrypted or not.
Car manufacturers have extensive data collection
The way automakers capture and collect data is complex. More and more functions in cars are controlled by computer systems. These are also connected to the internet. In-car monitoring takes place using sensors, radar, cameras, telematics and apps and includes, among other things, observations regarding interactions with the vehicle, monitoring of connected services used in the car, vehicle apps Includes evaluation etc. Can also be obtained from third-party sources like Google Maps. This means that everything that happens in the car, when and where, can be recorded.
Modern vehicles – regardless of price range – collect and store enormous amounts of data about their owners, drivers, passengers, and the environment, such as pedestrians. Automobile manufacturers therefore have extensive data collections that are necessary Research and Marketing Objectives Can be used. Most of the manufacturers tested say they may also give this data to third parties and sell it. Additionally, some manufacturers said they would provide data “upon request.” Government or in law enforcement agencies To be able to move forward.
Apart from the huge amount of personal data collected and stored by manufacturers, another important point in this context is that much of this data can be shared or sold to third parties – such as data brokers, service providers, governments and others. Companies.
Only two of the car brands tested, namely Renault and Dacia, state that drivers have the right to delete their personal data. Both car brands are available only in Europe, where the strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies.
Even highly sensitive data is not spared
Various types of data, some of which are highly sensitive, are recorded and collected. depends on manufacturer Destination, activities through sensitive data, including genetic, regarding the identity of vehicle occupants Recorded and stored.
For example, carmaker Nissan says Information about sexual activity, health information, genetic information and other sensitive personal information To collect and forward data for marketing purposes. This can be found in the Nissan USA Privacy Policy. Furthermore, the data protection declaration also states that “Conclusions drawn from personal information collected to create a profile about a consumer Preferences, Characteristics, Psychological Tendencies, Predispositions, Behavior, Attitudes, Intelligence, Abilities and Abilities shows“Can be sold and passed on for marketing purposes. Apart from Nissan, carmaker Kia has also said in its US privacy policy that it collects information about the sex lives of its car occupants.
Too genetic information Some are collected by car manufacturers. Automobile manufacturers such as Cadillac, GMC, Buick and Chevrolet state this in their privacy statements for the US state of California.
The 22 car brands tested said in their data protection declarations that they use the data collected to draw conclusions, for example about the drivers’ intelligence, skills and interests. This means that assumptions are based on data collected. Nine of these companies say that they can later sell this data to third parties.
Your car is watching you…
Given the shocking results of this investigation, one thing is clear: Modern cars are much more than just four-wheel transportation. They are potential surveillance devices that can record and store almost every aspect of our lives in the car. From our personal activities to our genetic data, nothing seems to be safe from this data collection. The fact is that most car manufacturers share the information they collect with third parties – including governments! -Can move or sell, it’s more of a concern. Our data can fall into the wrong hands and be used for purposes we cannot even imagine. In light of these new findings the question of protecting our privacy should be given urgent attention.
