The FTC Calls Out Automakers’ Privacy Practices

Hello all, and happy Thursday! 

In what is becoming a popular punching bag for privacy advocates, automakers are once again under fire. 

One of our stories this week focuses on a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) blog post, where the regulator warned automakers that it stands ready to act over the “surreptitious disclosure of sensitive information.” 

The warning isn’t without precedent—automakers have been criticized for their privacy practices for some time now. In a previous issue of The Privacy Insider, we talked about the Mozilla Foundation’s *Privacy Not Included buyer’s guide, which has featured numerous articles on the dearth of connected cars’ privacy protections. 

In essence, most connected cars track your data (including your geolocation!), sell your data, and make it very difficult to understand what they’re doing with your data or what your rights are.  

At Osano, we’re a big proponent of privacy for privacy’s sake; even if your behavior would be of little interest, you still shouldn’t have to put up with being spied upon. But when it comes to the usage of connected cars, you almost certainly don’t want your information tracked! Connected cars have been accused of selling/sharing data that could impact your insurance rates and tracking your movements to sensitive locations, such as medical providers. 

As more and more jurisdictions put data privacy regulations in place, one hopes that automakers will begin implementing stronger privacy-by-design practices than they have in the past. The FTC put it best: 

“The easiest way that companies can avoid harming consumers from the collection, use, and sharing of sensitive information is by simply not collecting it in the first place. When they are motivated to, all businesses—including auto manufacturers—are capable of building products with safeguards that protect consumers.” 

Best, 

Arlo  

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