I certainly understand your concern…..you ay also be concerned about your pone or TV listening to you, every smart appliance in your home connecting to the internet and tracking your behavior, etc. This is our modern world, and the only way that I can see to get around it is to have older appliances, older cars, no smart phone, etc. I’m not sure there is another answer here.

 

Yes you're right. But at least with a phone and tv, you can turn it off/leave it at home/airplane mode, when not in use or when going out.

Sitting in a car that is constantly sending data packets to servers, without any way of turning this communication function off, is unsettling, and a complete invasion of privacy.

Homes and inside cars are areas of privacy and personal space, and shouldn't be violated by companies to intrude, collect and share data, without any way of opting out.

I'm not entirely sure why consumers haven't kicked up more of a fuss about this, as it impacts us all!

 

Basically, anything that you own that can connect to the internet voids any concern about ‘privacy’. Anything.

 

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I appreciate you both sharing your thoughts, but I think it’s important to unpack a few things about privacy in modern cars and tech in general.

First off, while it’s true that a lot of people might seem to be opting into these features, we have to remember that informed consent is super important. Many buyers don’t really know just how much data is being collected and shared. Those long terms and conditions can be pretty confusing, and they often hide the reality of what “opting in” really means. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s right, especially when it comes to our privacy.

You mentioned that these changes are driven by consumer demand and government regulations, which is fair. But let’s be real—consumer demand can be heavily influenced by marketing and the idea that these features make us safer. Sure, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can help with safety, but they shouldn’t come at the cost of our personal privacy. Just because a higher NCAP score is appealing doesn’t mean manufacturers can ignore the responsibility to protect our data.

I get that you’re suggesting people who are worried about privacy should just ditch all technology, but that’s a bit extreme. It’s not about going off the grid; it’s about finding a balance where we can enjoy tech without sacrificing our rights. We should be pushing for responsible and ethical use of technology, not just accepting whatever comes our way.

Also, comparing this to devices like Amazon's Alexa or smartphones isn’t quite the same. People usually know what they’re getting into with those devices and can choose to disable features or not use them at all. But with cars, a lot of this data collection feels mandatory if you want to use the vehicle’s features, which doesn’t leave much room for choice.

Lastly, brushing off privacy concerns as something trivial isn’t really fair. Privacy is a big deal when it comes to personal freedom, and it deserves our attention. Having conversations about these issues is crucial for raising awareness and pushing manufacturers to take consumer privacy seriously.

So, while tech can definitely make our lives better, it shouldn’t come at the expense of our privacy. Let’s keep advocating for transparency and ethical practices in the car industry and beyond!

 

I appreciate you both sharing your thoughts, but I think it’s important to unpack a few things about privacy in modern cars and tech in general.
<SNIP>
So, while tech can definitely make our lives better, it shouldn’t come at the expense of our privacy. Let’s keep advocating for transparency and ethical practices in the car industry and beyond!

Let me ask you a few questions...

Have you ever read a Microsoft OS License Agreement in it's entirety before clicking accept? How many people do you think have done so?

My entry in to the world of Information Technology predates the release of the IBM PC and the birth of Microsoft, millions of PCs have been sold and users know that they only way they can use the technology is to accept the terms of the license, so they do it, and even when the license requires them to scroll to the end before they can click accept, the vast majority scroll, without reading. If you can honestly say you always read the license, I take my hat off to you, you're a one in a million guy.

Do you really think that the millions of users of Alexa, Siri, et al understand how those devices work and "know what they are getting into"? I'm sure you've seen the "horror stories" on social media about parents who gave a smart phone to a toddler to keep them quiet, only to have them run up a huge credit card bill. I know people, educated university graduates, with degrees in journalism & communications, where I'm sure privacy and the need to respect it was discussed, that have been caught this way.

The public at large does not care about privacy and many of them don't give security a second thought until it up & bites them in the wallet.

I like to paraphrase an old proverb - that horse ain't thirsty - and if you need that explained, lemme know.

 

Practice whatever advocacy that you wish, but as long as you interact with the internet, on any platform or system, privacy can be compromised. Period. In any event, while certainly privacy is an issue, it’s not really the remit of an automotive forum.

 

@Bex

While I understand your perspective on privacy concerns, I believe that discussions about privacy are indeed relevant to an automotive forum. Consider the following points:

Toyota's Legal Issues: Toyota has faced lawsuits for sharing driver data with insurers without consent, which has led to increased insurance premiums.

General Motors' Controversy: GM has also been sued by a U.S. state for disclosing driver data to insurance companies.

https://driving.ca/column/lorraine/privacy-lawsuits-general-motors-data-collection

Automakers and Privacy: A CNBC report highlights how car manufacturers are infringing on owner privacy.

Additional Insights: Another video delves into various privacy issues related to vehicles, and how car data was used to reject owner warranty claims.

Mozilla's Privacy Report: Mozilla's recent report reveals that all car manufacturers reviewed failed to protect owner privacy, marking a significant first in the industry’s history.

‘Privacy Nightmare on Wheels’: Every Car Brand Reviewed By Mozilla — Including Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota — Flunks Privacy Test

Upcoming Legislation in the EU: The European Union is currently drafting legislation that would require car data to be shared with insurance companies, which could impact insurance premiums.

https://www.reuters.com/business/au...portation/eu-plans-law-give-car-services-groups-access-vehicle-data-2025-03-04/

Tesla's Privacy Breaches: A lawsuit has been filed against Tesla for alleged privacy violations.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tesla-lawsuit-privacy-concerns-autopilot-reuters/

Given these significant issues, it is clear that discussions surrounding privacy are not only pertinent but essential for all automotive users.

 

Ferriswheel, yes, your response to me was posted. So, the question then remains, which part of our privacy are we willing to give up, vs what we don’t want to share? There are some people who like being able to put their A/C on from work, so the house is cool when they get home. Should this be an option at purchase? Bringing it back to cars, what about GPS, which will indicate where I am at any given time (to say nothing about my cell phone advertising it anyway). It would appear that the majority of consumers have opted for ‘convenience’ over ‘privacy’. And sadly (or otherwise) anything that connects to the internet interferes with your privacy. The issue becomes how that data is used, rather than whether the data is collected at all. It will be interesting to see the results of the lawsuits that you’ve posted above, it frankly, I think that the cat is already out of the bag.

 

If you haven’t already, check out Louis Rossman over on YT, regarding privacy, subscriptions, companies bricking the items you’ve bought, etc., etc.

 

I have not come across Louis Rossman before. Thanks for sharing, I'll definitely check out their YT channel!

 

Your body can be fingerprinted and tracked by Wi-Fi signals

A new system developed by researchers in Rome can identify specific people and their locations with 95% accuracy.

www.pcworld.com

This came across one of my news feeds this morning and I was reminded of this discussion - forget about your phone or your car being used to track you ...

 

Lucky in Australia, Suzuki does not have this function (to cheap out) - even in Japan they start to have this now - called Suzuki connect, and Toyota Australia has something similar now. Which could be useful if you are stranded in the Australian outback with the latest version of the Yaris Cross.......

 

So long as you've paid off the car, can't you just pull the cell unit / low-jack out of the car?