Cars and Privacy

Special Note: This is the 50th episode of Privacy Files. Thank you to all for your continued support of our mission to make the topic of privacy approachable for everyone. 2024 will be even better!

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In this episode of Privacy Files, we look at the rise of the Software-Defined Vehicle and how this evolution in automobiles is putting your privacy at risk.

A Software-Defined Vehicle is any vehicle that manages its operations, adds functionality, and enables new features primarily or entirely through software.

Software-Defined Vehicles are the foundation of numerous technological advancements, including self-driving and connected cars.

Whether it's via Bluetooth, WiFi or a hotspot, today's modern vehicle is connected to the internet. And as we frequently say on the podcast, if a device is connected to the internet, it serves as a potential attack vector for a bad actor.

In September 2023 Mozilla released the findings of its study of 25 car brands and what they do with owners' personal data. Every car brand earned Mozilla's "Privacy Not Included" warning label. It is the worst category of products for privacy that Mozilla has ever reviewed.

GPS trackers, cameras, microphones, and sensors are all capturing your every move. And that data is being collected, shared and sold.

When reviewing privacy policies, Mozilla found that 84% of car brands say they can share your data. 76% state they can sell your personal information. Shockingly, 56% say they can share your data with the government or law enforcement in response to a "request." In other words, no court order is necessary. It simply requires an "informal request."

We also discuss how this problem will likely worsen with the rise of smart cities and connected cars. Just around the corner is a world where vehicles are talking to each other and fixed structures. With the Internet of Things (IoT), unimaginable volumes of data will be collected on your driving behavior.

This evolution fits in with automakers' dream of moving to a revenue model where the real profit is in monetizing your data, not the sale of vehicles.

In fact, McKinsey estimates the value of the data gleaned from connected cars and self-driving cars will reach $1.5 trillion by 2030.

Links Referenced:

https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/narrative-ceo-big-data-from-cars-is-a-multibillion-dollar-opportunity-182532343.html?guccounter=1

https://www.einfochips.com/blog/how-big-data-is-shaping-the-future-of-the-automotive-industry/

https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/automotive%20and%20assembly/our%20insights/monetizing%20car%20data/monetizing-car-data.ashx

https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/13/23206999/car-subscription-nightmare-heated-seats-remote-start

https://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-remotely-kill-jeep-highway/

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