Tesla, Ford, and 23 other auto brands accused of selling personal data

New Delhi: A recent report from the Mozilla Foundation, the prominent American non-profit supporting the ‘Mozilla’ free software community, has made startling allegations against 25 major automobile manufacturers. According to the report, these automakers are purportedly involved in the collection and dissemination of highly personal data, encompassing sensitive details like sexual activity, facial expressions, genetic information, and health records.

Mozilla’s comprehensive assessment claims that all 25 auto brands tested in their study fell short in terms of privacy, leading them to declare cars as the “worst product category” they have ever evaluated in this context.

Our #PrivacyNotIncluded team has reviewed 25 top car brands and TL;DR; your vehicle is pretty much privacy hell on wheels. 🚗 ⚠️

From biometrics to genetics and even your sex life, there’s not much your car isn’t collecting. More here ⤵️ https://t.co/NgmpqZCOIn

— Mozilla (@mozilla) September 6, 2023

The examination delved into the privacy and security vulnerabilities across car manufacturers from five countries: the United States, Germany, Japan, France, and South Korea. The research process reportedly consumed 600 hours, including activities such as scrutinizing privacy policies, downloading applications, and engaging in correspondence with the brands, all part of Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included (*PNI) buyer’s guide.

Jen Caltrider, the PNI Program Director at Mozilla, expressed concerns, stating, “All new cars today are privacy nightmares on wheels that collect huge amounts of personal information.”

According to the report, Nissan emerged as the worst offender among these auto giants. The Japanese automaker is alleged to have explicitly admitted in its privacy policy to the collection of a wide array of data, including sexual activity, health diagnosis details, and genetic information. However, the specifics of how this data is collected remain undisclosed. The report further claims that Nissan has asserted its right to share and sell consumers’ preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes to data brokers, law enforcement agencies, and other third parties.

In contrast, Renault, Nissan’s sister brand, is described as the “least problematic” among the scrutinized automakers. Among the top offenders identified by Mozilla, Volkswagen stands out for its data collection, which includes demographic information (such as age and gender) and driving behaviors (like seatbelt usage and braking patterns) aimed at targeted marketing. Toyota is criticized for having a complex web of 12 privacy policy documents. Kia’s privacy policy reportedly mentions the collection of data concerning an individual’s “sex life,” while Mercedes-Benz is flagged for pre-installing TikTok, an app with its own privacy issues, in certain vehicle models.

A study conducted by McKinsey & Company in 2016 estimated that by 2030, the monetization of car data could develop into a $750 billion industry. Caltrider underscores the evolving perceptions of privacy in vehicles, asserting that while many people view their cars as private spaces for personal calls, confidential conversations with loved ones, emotional moments, or private journeys, the reality increasingly contrasts with this perception. The data collection practices of modern vehicles challenge this notion, raising substantial concerns about personal privacy.

As connected technology continues to proliferate in automobiles, the risk of privacy breaches looms large. The pivotal question that arises from this dilemma is whether consumers are willing to embrace the latest technological advancements in vehicles, even at the potential cost of compromising their privacy.