What is the new privacy promise made by Ford?
Ford vowed to never sell customer driving data to third-party data brokers as reported by The Verge. This announcement is part of a new privacy promise aimed at setting the automaker apart from competitors that have faced legal and regulatory blowback for sharing telematics without authorization.
As part of its new promise, Ford says it will strive to protect customer data by using aggregating and anonymizing techniques. It will also provide clear information about personal information usage and allow customers to adjust their preferred data sharing levels.
Why are automakers facing increased scrutiny over data privacy?
The commitment comes in the wake of General Motors agreeing to pay 220 million dollars to settle claims that it illegally sold driver and location information to data brokers. Other automakers have also been scrutinized after examinations revealed widespread vehicle data transmission to third-party domains.
Mozilla previously crowned modern connected cars the worst category of products for privacy ever reviewed. Their research found that 92 percent of automakers provide drivers with little control over personal data.
How can drivers protect their data and manage vehicle settings?
Ford surveyed over 1,000 US customers and found that privacy is a top concern, with 41 percent extremely or very concerned about data privacy in the auto industry. To enforce accountability, the Federal Trade Commission can step in if public promises are broken.
Users should review official privacy policies and connected vehicle terms to understand exceptions such as police requests or service providers. Additionally, turning off tracking may disable features like remote start and built-in navigation.