Cars Spying on Drivers: Study Reveals Widespread Data Sharing

Researchers from Northeastern University and Consumer Reports have conducted a study on data sharing in cars. They tested 21 vehicles and 30 companion apps, finding widespread data sharing with third parties.

The study revealed that 28 of the apps sent data to at least one outside advertising or analytics company, while seven shared personally identifiable information such as names, vehicle identification numbers, or precise locations.

Among the recipients of driver data were Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. The Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer, Lucid Air, and both Tesla models tested sent data to the most outside firms.

As one co-author noted, 'buyers cannot currently purchase a new car that does not track them.' This raises concerns about driver privacy and the potential for misuse of collected data.