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.
This analysis uncovered concerning practices. There are enormous obstacles for consumers who want to find and understand the privacy terms. Some brands also make inaccurate claims that certain information is not “personal information”, implying the Privacy Act doesn’t apply to that data.
Some companies are also repurposing personal information for “marketing” or “research”, and sharing data with third parties.
I’m really hoping Aptera is successful. Their main selling point is “solar mobility” basically, they designed a hyper-efficient car that looks sort of odd because efficiency is the main design factors. They hope to gain meaningful charge from solar panels on the vehicle because it’s so efficient. They’re thinking like 50 miles a day in someplace like California.
But they’ve also committed to being open with their vehicle and architecture by providing first-party spare parts and supporting open source stuff like open pilot.
If they keep on their consumer-friendly path, I’m hopeful for my data privacy if I get a future car from them