🚨21 Vehicles Share Data with 17 Third Parties
Your car's data is being sold to advertisers
TL;DR
A new study reveals that 21 late-model vehicles from 17 automakers share sensitive data with third parties, including vehicle ID numbers, emails, and precise location. The data is often sold to advertisers and data brokers, making it hard for consumers to avoid.
A new peer-reviewed study reveals that 21 late-model vehicles from 17 automakers share sensitive data with third parties, including vehicle ID numbers, emails, and precise location. Researchers tested 30 companion mobile apps and found that 19 of the 21 vehicles tested sent traffic to at least one third party. Seven of the 30 apps gave sensitive data to third-party companies, allowing advertisers and data brokers to build in-depth profiles of consumers. The study highlights the difficulty for consumers to avoid data sharing and the lack of transparency in data collection practices. Honda improved its data collection practices after learning about the findings, but all other manufacturers shifted blame elsewhere.
Key Points
Researchers tested 21 late-model vehicles from 17 automakers, revealing data sharing with third parties.
19 of the 21 vehicles tested sent traffic to at least one third party, including Adobe, Google, and Microsoft.
Seven of the 30 companion apps gave sensitive data to third-party companies, allowing advertisers to build consumer profiles.
Honda improved its data collection practices after learning about the findings and ordered its vendor Amplitude to delete all geolocation data.
Drivers were not informed about how their data was collected, making it difficult for consumers to avoid data sharing.
Why It Matters
If you're a driver with a connected car, your data is likely being shared with third parties without your knowledge. The study reveals that the data is often sold to advertisers and data brokers, making it hard for consumers to avoid. The lack of transparency in data collection practices means that drivers have little control over their data.
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