If your car connects to the internet, what personal data could it be sharing – and even selling? A new report on Australia’s 15 most popular car brands reveals these privacy concerns.

New research reveals serious privacy flaws in the data practices of new internet connected cars in Australia. It’s yet another reason why we need urgent reform of privacy laws.

Modern cars are increasingly equipped with internet-enabled features. Your “connected car” might automatically detect an accident and call emergency services, or send a notification if a child is left in the back seat.

But connected cars are also sophisticated surveillance devices. The data they collect can create a highly revealing picture of each driver. If this data is misused, it can result in privacy and security threats.

A report published today analysed the privacy terms from 15 of the most popular new car brands that sell connected cars in Australia.

  • @[email protected]English
    15•4 days ago

    Toyota at least has an opt-out website. (Or at least in the US they do). You lose the ability to do stuff like remote start from your phone though. And emergency roadside service, blah blah blah. I turned off all the mapping saved route stuff immediately that let you see your previous trip average miles/KW and then turned off everything once they wanted me to pay a monthly fee for remote start and such.

    • krolden
      12•4 days ago

      Theres still an LTE modem in your car sending data somewhere

      • @[email protected]English
        5•4 days ago

        So if I were to take one of them cars and drive out to the middle of nowhere in the desert where there’s no cell service, what’s it gonna do? Shut off once it’s roaming? Not start back up and strand me in 115° heat? I just want to be prepared for my lawsuit that’s all

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppetEnglish
      5•4 days ago

      I seriously doubt they’re not capturing the information just because you told them not to. They’re just going to treat it differently. But have no delusions that they’re respecting your wishes as you think they should.

      • @[email protected]English
        1•3 days ago

        https://privacy.toyota.com/#/landing

        They appear to be doing so for all states, not just Cali where they have a legal obligation to. Do you have any proof to the contrary or is this just your feeling about it? Because at this point, given the class action lawsuit they would face from Californians, I suspect they are actually following it to the best of their ability.