Personal data collection in new cars a worrying trend

Carmakers like Ford, Toyota & Chevrolet collect data and share them with shady third parties.

According to a media report, new car models have come to rival smartphones in terms of collecting sensitive data of their owners. This includes the driver's full name, address, phone numbers, email ids and even licence numbers.

Modern cars even record driving data, time and date of use, vehicle speed, location, weather and also the route taken to reach a destination. They also track refuelling activities, collect images from onboard cameras and even biometrics such as facial recognition and fingerprint data.

As per reports, different carmakers handle the data differently. While certain brands share the info with data brokers or other third parties, a few share/sell the data to insurance firms or even the government.

Having said that, Toyota does offer owners of the Tacoma, Camry, Rav4 and Highlander the option to decline consent before sending any data to the carmaker. Owners can "turn off data transmission on their vehicles" by contacting customer service.

Source: Wired