25Gb per hour. That’s how much data your new car is collecting . . . and sharing with and/or selling to others.
Consider that for a moment. That’s the equivalent of 167 minutes of 1080p resolution video, or about 6,250 photos @ 4MB resolution each. Per Hour!
And you thought Google was bad.
That data includes not only vehicle performance information, but driving history, geolocation, and a wealth of personally identifiable information. Think voice recognition, back-up camera videos, even biometrics used with companion apps. And let’s not forget your linked phone. Information gathered from connected cell phones includes recent phone activity, contacts, and more depending on the car manufacturer.
Car makers provide this data to law enforcement, insurance companies, data brokers, and others. It’s a valued new source of revenue.
As this Car.com article explains:
“Selling users’ personal data to data brokers is just one way that car companies can make a profit. Eighty-eight percent of the companies studied by Mozilla — which includes every one that sells cars in North America — creates inferences about customers based on other data. Consider this like building a profile, where they can assume other characteristics about you based on the locations you visit, podcasts you listen to, your job and other shared information. Nine of the 24 car companies reserved the right to sell those inferences to third parties.”
Yes, automakers have discovered that user data is valuable. Therefore, GM, Honda, Ford and the others must be treating that data accordingly, with strict security measures in place. Not really. Seventeen of the twenty-five brands studied by Mozilla have a recent history of leaks, hacks, and other breaches of user’s privacy.
Don’t expect this poor performance to change any time soon. US data privacy laws are lacking and/or in dire need of updating. (Twenty, even ten years ago, who thought that cars would be capturing so much sensitive user information?)
So, the next time you purchase a car, be sure to review all terms and conditions before signing. Opt-out, to the extent possible, of optional data sharing, personalized marketing, and related services.
There is still more to do, but I’m out of time. My car is overdue for a service. It’s making a strange noise. Could be the wheel bearings; or, perhaps, the front suspension. Then again, in the immortal words of Ross Perot, it could just be the giant sucking sound of my personal data being Hoovered. Or should I say, “Chryslered?”
Peter has spent the past twenty-plus years as an acting/consulting CFO for a number of small businesses in a wide range of industries. Peter’s prior experience is that of a serial entrepreneur, managing various start-up and turnaround projects. He is a co-founder of Keurig.
