These cars are reporting you to the tech giants
Cars and their apps send data about drivers to Google, Meta and Microsoft, including location and VIN. Researchers checked 21 cars and 30 applications. Almost all of them passed on information to companies that have nothing to do with driving.
The study was conducted by scientists from Northeastern University in Boston together with the American consumer organization Consumer Reports. They analyzed the data sent by 21 cars over the Internet. The following models were checked: Tesla Model 3, Cybertruck, Ford F-150, Toyota Corolla Cross, Mercedes EQS and Volvo C40. 21 cars and 30 mobile applications related to car manufacturers were verified. The full list of tested cars and the report results can be seen on the study discussion page.
The data goes to advertisers
As many as 19 out of 21 cars connected to at least one external company, and 28 out of 30 applications sent data to advertising and analytical companies.
The recipients include: Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Snap and Adobe, as well as data trading companies.
Seven applications provided external companies with data that allows them to determine who the driver is: VIN number, exact location or e-mail address. This includes: for applications from General Motors (Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC), Honda, Nissan and Lincoln brands.
As the author of the study said, prof. David Choffnes of Northeastern University, “companies that have nothing to do with how the car works get information about us. And we don’t really know what they do with it.”
Sarah Elizabeth Gillespie, co-author of the study, concluded that it is impossible to buy a new car today that does not track its owner.
Vehicle ecosystem with WI-FI and GPS technology
Research conclusions are not new here; lawsuits accusing automotive companies of disclosing sensitive data have already appeared in the United States. But the study shows the scale of the problem and is the first to show a large-scale connected vehicle ecosystem. connected cars).
Modern vehicles built with connected car technologies like Wi-Fi and GPS collect tons of data about their owners. And this data – as it turns out – does not remain private.
The research results will be officially presented in October at the ACM Internet Measurement Conference in Karlsruhe, Germany.
The study concerns cars from the USA and applications in versions for the American market, therefore its results cannot be automatically translated to the European market, especially due to GDPR regulations.
Sources: TechCrunch, Northeastern University, Consumer Report
