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Your Car May Be Sharing Data with Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft
Researchers found 21 vehicles and 30 companion apps sent VINs, locations and other identifiers to advertisers, trackers and major tech firms.
- This week, researchers from Northeastern University in collaboration with Consumer Reports published findings showing all 21 tested vehicles transmitted data to at least one third-party domain over Wi-Fi, with over half contacting advertising, tracking, and analytics firms including Adobe, LexisNexis, and Amplitude.
- Modern cars collect vast amounts of data tracking location, acceleration, braking, and turning patterns through connected WiFi and GPS technology, a concern the 2023 Mozilla Foundation called 'the worst product category we have ever reviewed for privacy.'
- Tesla's Model 3 topped the chart by contacting 34 advertising and tracking domains plus 37 infotainment domains, while seven companion apps including HondaLink and MyNissan transmitted sensitive vehicle identification numbers, emails, phone numbers, and precise locations to third-party trackers.
- Honda responded by requesting its analytics provider Amplitude delete geolocation data and updated HondaLink to cease transmitting location, while all other automakers except Honda shifted blame to consumers or embedded browsers, claiming data transmission aligned with third-party service contracts.
- Researcher David Choffnes argued automakers must rebuild trust through explicit opt-in rather than opt-out mechanisms, as data sold to insurers and banks creates persistent consumer profiles that are difficult to escape, raising consumer protection concerns.
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53 Articles
53 Articles
Researchers from Northeastern University and Consumer Reports examined 21 cars from 19 different brands to find out what data connected vehicles are sharing and with whom. The findings confirm previous concerns that smart cars continue to pose a serious privacy risk, Arstechnika reported.
·Budapest, Hungary
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TVA NouvellesReposted by 
Le Journal de Quebec
Le Journal de QuebecThe amount of data about you that many cars collect — and sell to third parties — is amazing.
·Montreal, Canada
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources53
Leaning Left3Leaning Right3Center20Last UpdatedBias Distribution77% Center
Bias Distribution
- 77% of the sources are Center
77% Center
12%
C 77%
11%
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