Shocking Truth Revealed: Automakers Sharing Your Car Data With Police!

Automakers are Giving Your Car Data to Police! At least eight carmakers in the US have admitted they would backtrack on a voluntary privacy agreement and turn over the personal customer data to government and police, prompting calls for an investigation.

Automotive News reports 19 carmakers had voluntarily signed up for the Consumer Privacy Protection Principles in 2014 – standards which would require US government agencies (including police) to obtain a warrant or court order to access customer location data.

However, eight automakers misled customers about giving driver data to police, and now US lawmakers are raising questions about whether automakers can be held to account for departing from promises made about user privacy.

So who is giving your information to others? Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Volkswagen, BMW, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and Kia would turn over the data if a subpoena was produced – in violation of the standards they signed up for. More smoke and mirrors when it comes to your data.

These car companies are following the agreement they signed; General Motors, Honda, Ford, Stellantis, and Tesla require a warrant for location data, unless it was an emergency or customer consent was provided. Tesla was also the only brand to notify its customers of legal demands. Actually… all manufacturers should inform customers.

This has not only raised concerns about what other privacy promises carmakers have made that they won’t keep, but has led to two US Senators calling for the companies to be investigated by the Federal Trade Commission.

Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Kia all defended their practices, while the Alliance for Automotive Innovation – a lobby group for the car industry – claimed government agencies only request location information when there is clear danger to an individual.

In March, The #NewYorkTimes published an in-depth investigation about a Chevrolet Bolt owner who had been quoted a significantly higher insurance renewal premium, later discovering his driving data was being sold to insurance firms by data broker #LexisNexis

This was followed by a second report, detailing a proposed class action lawsuit put forward by a Cadillac XT6 owner who claimed he was denied insurance by seven companies on account of his LexisNexis driving report provided to the firms without his knowledge.

Both of the vehicles were equipped with OnStar, GM’s connected services brand which gathered data used by LexisNexis.

In the wake of the reports, General Motors subsequently ended its partnership with both LexisNexis and Verisk, a similar company which also sold driving data to insurance companies.

According to The #NYT an internal document circulated within General Motors showed more than eight million vehicles were actively supplying data through OnStar’s Smart Driver program as of 2022.

How to Find Out What Your Car Is Doing
➡️ See the data your car is capable of collecting with this tool: https://vehicleprivacyreport.com/.
➡️ Check your connected car app, if you use one, to see if you are enrolled in one of these programs.
Do an online search for “privacy request form” alongside the name of your vehicle’s manufacturer. There should be instructions on how to request information your car company has about you.
➡️ Request your LexisNexis report: https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/consumer
➡️ Request your Verisk report: https://fcra.verisk.com/#/

Remember, you own your data, not these companies. Just because they make the software, doesn’t mean they get to control what happens to your information. The problem is, you sign away your ownership when you use the systems. Keep an eye out for opt-out options and support government bills that protect your privacy.

Thanks for watching!

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