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CHOICE has created a rating of auto giants by the level of penetration into the personal life of drivers.
The Australian organization CHOICE revealed that 7 out of 10 of the country's most popular car brands collect and share driver data with third parties, raising concerns about the protection of the privacy of car owners.
The study found that Australia's largest car brand, Toyota, collects vehicle location information and "Drive Pulse" data that captures acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers. The data is shared not only with the company itself, but also with its partners and third-party service providers.
Ford and MG also collect data, but declined to explain how the information is processed or to whom. Mazda said it collects "voice interaction data" and uses it for advertising purposes, which raises further questions.
Of particular concern is Kia and Hyundai's collection of biometric data, such as voice commands, which are transmitted to Cerence, a U.S.-based company that innovates in the field of AI for transportation. Experts question the companies' claims that such data can be transferred in an impersonal form, since the depersonalization of biometric information is impossible, as experts say.
Tesla, as it turned out, collects not only drivers' voice commands, but also video clips and images obtained using cameras built into cars. This data is shared with third parties, and the company claims that it uses privacy protection methods and that the data is not linked to drivers' personal information. However, Tesla does not explain exactly how this happens.
Overall results of the study
In addition, data from CHOICE studies showed that many car owners are concerned about the scale of information collection. A national poll conducted in June 2024 showed that three-quarters of respondents oppose the collection of video and audio recordings inside cars. Support for collecting data to improve safety, such as seat belt use, was higher at 39%, but only 30% of respondents agreed to collect data on driving habits, such as harsh braking or speed.
Customer dissatisfaction is exacerbated by the rise of companies collecting data without the explicit consent of car owners. Many drivers do not even realize that the connected functions of cars begin to collect data automatically when they buy a car or install an application. Moreover, in some cases, disabling such features may result in the loss of other important features, such as navigation or weather forecasting, and in the case of Toyota, the warranty will be void when the data module is removed.
Experts note that data protection legislation in Australia lags far behind modern challenges. Europeans would never tolerate such practices, but in Australia, privacy issues are often overlooked. A CHOICE spokesperson said that the current changes to the Privacy Act do not provide sufficient protection for drivers' data. CHOICE calls on the government to introduce new mechanisms that would limit companies in collecting data and ensure that customer expectations are met.
Research shows that automakers often violate privacy standards. So, in September 2023, Mozilla said that 25 major automakers, including Ford, did not comply with user data protection requirements.
Recall that in May, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned automakers that it was closely monitoring the collection and sale of customer data. The Commission noted possible measures that could be applied to automakers for sharing sensitive data with advertisers. Particular attention is paid to the sale of geodata and the "secret disclosure of confidential information."
The issue of data privacy has become important for consumer advocates in recent years. For example, Privacy4Cars last year released a tool under the Vehicle Privacy Report, which shows what information about a particular car can be collected. By entering the VIN of a car, the user can see what automakers can know about it. It is estimated that cars can produce 25GB of data per hour.
At the same time, a WIRED report revealed that most major car brands collect location and driving data, and some companies also collect data on vehicle conditions, such as fuel levels, tire pressure, and engine errors. In addition, some automakers can access data from connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, or navigators.
Source
The Australian organization CHOICE revealed that 7 out of 10 of the country's most popular car brands collect and share driver data with third parties, raising concerns about the protection of the privacy of car owners.
The study found that Australia's largest car brand, Toyota, collects vehicle location information and "Drive Pulse" data that captures acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers. The data is shared not only with the company itself, but also with its partners and third-party service providers.
Ford and MG also collect data, but declined to explain how the information is processed or to whom. Mazda said it collects "voice interaction data" and uses it for advertising purposes, which raises further questions.
Of particular concern is Kia and Hyundai's collection of biometric data, such as voice commands, which are transmitted to Cerence, a U.S.-based company that innovates in the field of AI for transportation. Experts question the companies' claims that such data can be transferred in an impersonal form, since the depersonalization of biometric information is impossible, as experts say.
Tesla, as it turned out, collects not only drivers' voice commands, but also video clips and images obtained using cameras built into cars. This data is shared with third parties, and the company claims that it uses privacy protection methods and that the data is not linked to drivers' personal information. However, Tesla does not explain exactly how this happens.
Overall results of the study
In addition, data from CHOICE studies showed that many car owners are concerned about the scale of information collection. A national poll conducted in June 2024 showed that three-quarters of respondents oppose the collection of video and audio recordings inside cars. Support for collecting data to improve safety, such as seat belt use, was higher at 39%, but only 30% of respondents agreed to collect data on driving habits, such as harsh braking or speed.
Customer dissatisfaction is exacerbated by the rise of companies collecting data without the explicit consent of car owners. Many drivers do not even realize that the connected functions of cars begin to collect data automatically when they buy a car or install an application. Moreover, in some cases, disabling such features may result in the loss of other important features, such as navigation or weather forecasting, and in the case of Toyota, the warranty will be void when the data module is removed.
Experts note that data protection legislation in Australia lags far behind modern challenges. Europeans would never tolerate such practices, but in Australia, privacy issues are often overlooked. A CHOICE spokesperson said that the current changes to the Privacy Act do not provide sufficient protection for drivers' data. CHOICE calls on the government to introduce new mechanisms that would limit companies in collecting data and ensure that customer expectations are met.
Research shows that automakers often violate privacy standards. So, in September 2023, Mozilla said that 25 major automakers, including Ford, did not comply with user data protection requirements.
Recall that in May, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned automakers that it was closely monitoring the collection and sale of customer data. The Commission noted possible measures that could be applied to automakers for sharing sensitive data with advertisers. Particular attention is paid to the sale of geodata and the "secret disclosure of confidential information."
The issue of data privacy has become important for consumer advocates in recent years. For example, Privacy4Cars last year released a tool under the Vehicle Privacy Report, which shows what information about a particular car can be collected. By entering the VIN of a car, the user can see what automakers can know about it. It is estimated that cars can produce 25GB of data per hour.
At the same time, a WIRED report revealed that most major car brands collect location and driving data, and some companies also collect data on vehicle conditions, such as fuel levels, tire pressure, and engine errors. In addition, some automakers can access data from connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, or navigators.
Source
