Connected Cars Are a Surveillance Platform

Researchers from Northeastern University and Consumer Reports investigated the surveillance capabilities of modern cars by analyzing the privacy policies of 15 automakers. The automakers included in the study were BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen. The researchers also reviewed filings from data brokers in the insurtech industry to understand how they use car data. The goal of the study was to determine how much modern cars spy on their drivers. The study involved reviewing thousands of pages of privacy policies and asking questions of the automakers. The research aimed to shed light on the data collection practices of the automotive industry.