Modern cars and mobile apps are leaking driver data

Modern cars collect vast amounts of data about their owners using built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, and other network technologies, and this information does not remain private. A new study by researchers at Northeastern University shows that the scale of personal data transmission to third parties in the automotive industry is extremely broad, making it almost impossible for consumers to avoid. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

According to ixbt.com, the study covered 21 late-model vehicles from 17 automotive brands, including popular brands such as Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Lucid, Rivian, Tesla, and Toyota. Experts also examined 30 corresponding mobile apps to analyze their impact on privacy.

Where is the data going?

According to the study, 19 out of the 21 vehicles tested directed data traffic to at least one third party. Seven of the 30 mobile apps tested were found to transmit sensitive information such as Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN), email addresses, phone numbers, and precise geolocation to companies engaged in advertising and tracking.

Experts found that drivers' personal data is reaching major technology companies such as Adobe, ContentSquare, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Snap, and Yahoo. By sending multiple types of information to the same third party, advertisers and data brokers are able to create in-depth digital profiles of consumers.

The relationship between apps and automakers

The study found that connecting a mobile app to a car roughly doubles the exposure to advertisers and trackers. These secret profiles are sold to various organizations, such as banks and insurance companies, posing a significant risk to consumers.

When the study results were presented to automakers, all brands except Honda shifted responsibility to others or directly to the consumers themselves. Upon being notified, Honda improved its data collection practices and ordered its contractor to delete all collected geolocation data.

Many automakers stated that some links in mobile apps open external web pages, which may contain cookies that collect customer data. However, it was found that most of these processes occur without the driver's warning or consent.