Americans’ cars now have the “unparalleled ability to see, listen and gather information about what you do and where you go,” according to a worrying new study.
According to the Mozilla FoundationAt least 84 percent of the 25 car brands surveyed have the power to share or sell drivers’ personal data to data brokers, law enforcement, and others.
‘The bottom line is: they can collect super intimate information about you – from your medical information, to your genetic information, to your ‘sex life’ (seriously), to how fast you drive, where you drive and what songs you play in your car. car,” the study said.
The study issued ‘Privacy Not Included’ warnings to all 25 cars examined, finding that the car brands were collecting ‘too much personal data’ from drivers.’
The study also looked at other digital products, such as smart home devices, mental health apps and exercise products. Researchers claimed that vehicles “have the most problems when it comes to protecting a user’s privacy.”
The study issued ‘Privacy Not Included’ warnings to all 25 cars examined, finding the car brands were collecting ‘too much personal data’ from drivers.
Mozilla Foundation research shows Tesla, Nissan, Hyundai, Cadillac and GMC are among the five worst companies when it comes to driver privacy
The Mozilla Foundation, which is behind the Firefox browser and is committed to better online privacy and internet safety, said cars are the worst product they have ever rated for privacy concerns, adding that vehicles are a ‘privacy nightmare’ .
It found that Tesla, Nissan, Hyundai, Cadillac and GMC are among the five worst companies when it comes to driver privacy.
The survey also found that 92 percent of cars, which they called “data-hungry machines,” say they can share your information with the government upon “informal request.”
Furthermore, all but two Renault and Dacia ‘gave drivers little to no control over their personal data’, including the choice to delete it.
The study notes that Nissan’s privacy policy says the company may share sensitive personal information, “including driver’s license number, national or state identification number, citizenship status, immigration status, race, national origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, sexual activity, precise geolocation , health diagnosis data and genetic information.’
None of the car brands examined met Mozilla’s minimum safety standards.
The researchers wrote: ‘We find it so strange that dating apps and sex toys publish more detailed security information than cars.
“Although the car brands we surveyed each had some long-winded privacy policies (Toyota wins with 12), we could find no confirmation that the brands met our minimum security standards.”
The research comes as technology continues to evolve, leading to questions about what the advancements will mean for user privacy.
Earlier this year, Tesla employees were exposed after sharing customer videos recorded by the cars’ integrated dashcams.
Clips, recorded between 2019 and 2022, include on-road incidents, graphic crashes and even a naked man approaching the car.