Cars are a privacy nightmare, Mozilla Foundation says.

[Innula Zenovka]

It’s Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy

From The Guardian's report

Mozilla found that all the car brands it reviewed collected more personal data than necessary and personal information collected was used for reasons unrelated to the operation of a vehicle and a car brand’s relationship with its drivers.

The Mozilla research suggests that six car companies can collect intimate information, including a driver’s medical information and genetic information. How fast a person drives, where they drive to and the songs they listen to in their car were also included.

Nissan includes “sexual activity”, in the data it collects and Kia notes that it can collect information about your “sex life” in their privacy policy, Mozilla said.

Kia’s privacy policy states it may process “special categories” of data, including “information about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, sex life and political opinions” and “trade union membership”.

Cars can collect personal information from drivers in huge quantities, from the connected services that can be used in the car, to third party sources like online radio service Sirius XM or Google Maps. That data can then be used to “invent more data about you through inferences about things like your intelligence, abilities and interests”, Mozilla said.

 

[Isabeau]

Is it any wonder why there is so much distrust and so many conspiracy “nutters”? Yes, it often is aimed at the wrong entities, but most of us are busy just getting by with our lives without enough time to truly research every purchase or policy, so many just latch on to explanations that fit their own political views. They feel there’s something wrong, but it can’t be free market capitalism, so it must be xyz, as an example.

 

[Noodles]

> Sex data

if ((car_shocks_velocity >= rapid_bouncing) && (gps_location != "Rally Course"))
{
car_state = "Rocking";
sex = TRUE;
}

 

[Noodles]

Is it any wonder why there is so much distrust and so many conspiracy “nutters”? Yes, it often is aimed at the wrong entities, but most of us are busy just getting by with our lives without enough time to truly research every purchase or policy, so many just latch on to explanations that fit their own political views. They feel there’s something wrong, but it can’t be free market capitalism, so it must be xyz, as an example.

Oh yeah, and its just increasinly in everything.

WTF happened to "Company makes product.". Why is it always "Company makes product, and harvests all your data."

 

[Essence Lumin]

How quickly things change. My car could not do most of those things because it has no internet connectivity. It's a 2019 Toyota Camry. The only connection to my phone is the sound via bluetooth.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

WTF happened to "Company makes product.". Why is it always "Company makes product, and harvests all your data."

Because it's less messy than organs?

 

[WolfEyes]

Makes me glad I can't afford anything newer than about 20 years old now.

 

[Beebo Brink]

I'm so happy with my ancient, non-internet enabled Subaru. Fingers crossed that it's the last car I own. My only complaint is that it has electric windows, rather than manual, but I'll just have to be very careful not to drive off any bridges.