Your car is following you. Driving kind data goes to insurers and advertisers

Modern cars collect immense amounts of data about their users – from driving style, through location, to what devices you connect to the multimedia system. This data is frequently sold or made available to 3rd parties, including insurance and advertising companies – frequently without the express cognition and consent of the car owner.

What data do modern cars collect?

Modern cars are equipped with dozens of sensors and onboard computerswhich collect data in real time. For example, cars monitor:

• acceleration and braking,
• speed and fast manoeuvres,
• driving time and stops,
• GPS location and route,
• driving behaviour, e.g. utilizing your phone.

In addition, integration with mobile applications, which frequently have access to contacts, calendar and user location, and data from infotainment systems specified as connection history, multimedia preferences or Spotify and Google Maps account data.

Who collects this information and for what purpose?

Vehicle data not stored only on the vehicle. They are frequently sent to car maker servers or its technological partners. There they are:

• analysed for safety and diagnostics,
• used to make fresh functions,
• shared insurance companies to personalise contributions,
• sold Marketing companies and data brokers.

As reported Mozilla Foundation in the "Private Not Included" report, many manufacturers – including Nissan, Kia, Hyundai or BMW – leaves the right to transfer driver data to outside companiesFor marketing purposes, among others.

What does that mean for the driver?

For the average user this means one: losing control of your life data behind the wheel. This data may be utilized for:

• Calculation of the higher insurance premium based on a discretional assessment of driving style,
• advertising targeting, e.g. based on visited locations (e.g. “he frequently goes to the gym, so let’s advertise him supplements”),
• behavior profiling, e.g. determining erstwhile the driver returns from work, how much time he spends in the car or uses the telephone while driving.

Moreover, in any cases data may be transmitted law enforcement or redressing authorities, e.g. after a road collision – before the driver can react.

Does the driver agree to this?

That's the point. Though formally user accepts privacy policy and regulations, frequently they are illegible, dispersed and written by law. Additionally, data are collected automatically and consent withdrawn often requires complete exclusion of the vehicle strategy from digital services.

According to American Consumer Reports, over 80% of drivers are unaware that their car collects specified detailed information and that this data may be transmitted further.

Global problem – but no regulation

Privacy of data in automotive is not yet regulated unequivocally. In the European Union GDPR provides theoretical protectionbut the practice shows that:

• data collected in the vehicle shall be considered to be method and not individual data,
• manufacturers frequently shift work to intermediaries or applications,
• drivers have difficulty enforcing the right to delete data.

In the US, the situation is even little transparent – in most states no rules protecting car dataand the car lobby effectively blocks attempts to regulate.

Experts warn: privacy for convenience

– The car becomes another point in the ecosystem of citizen data collection, next to smartphones, smartwatches or smart devices at home," comments Michał Zaremba, cybersecurity expert. – but unlike the smartphone, car collects data even erstwhile the user does not fishy it, for example by lending them to a friend or family.

Zaremba points out that The real value is not individual data, but their relation with another sources – bank, insurer, state registers. This creates a complete digital profile of the citizen – with his habits, habits, weaknesses.

How do you defend yourself?

If you are a user of a modern car and want to minimize the risk:

• Check the privacy settings in the application of the maker and in the on-board system,
• Avoid connecting your telephone and individual accounts to your vehicleif not necessary,
• Read Privacy Policy before the activation of the connected car services,
• Consider buying a car without telematics or with the anticipation of deactivation,
• Request access to data and request that they be removed – you have the right to do so in the EU.

Is this the end of car privacy?

Modern automotive offers large opportunities – safety, comfort, comfort. But The price for this is privacywhose boundaries are becoming increasingly fluid. Are the drivers aware of this? And will they have a real choice – or will they be forced to accept the conditions of digital surveillance in exchange for starting the car?