Olde Hornet
Well-Known Member
Data is improving car safety and comfort but privacy advocates want more transparency about where it's going
Many drivers may not know it, but the latest in connected car technology in their new ride isn't just improving their comfort and safety. It may also be logging — and sharing — data from each journey.
This has privacy advocates raising a red flag, calling for greater transparency around the collection and ownership of the information being collected from drivers and their cars.
"How do we have the control over our personal information?" said Vincent Gogolek, former executive director of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA).
"Not that [consumers] want to have Model T Fords again and drive nothing. They like having all of this equipment and these services and the toys. But they want to know that they're not being spied on; they have some sort of ability to limit what information is being shared and where it goes.
"And it's not really clear that that's the way this is working."
Companies today know a lot about your vehicle and how you drive it thanks to telematics technology, the pairing of telecommunications and information processing.
This has transformed what it's like when behind the wheel.
It means things like turn-by-turn navigation, automated emergency calling, remote access, and vehicle diagnostics and maintenance notifications. Today's vehicles also come equipped with infotainment systems, including video players, internet and music streaming. What's more, connected cars are capable of collecting and transmitting a lot of data.