Your vehicle represents a particularly intimate space, often perceived as an extension of your home. This enclosed space is so privileged that sometimes, people share their greatest secrets, without realizing inside the cabin is where your private life is most exposed.
The advent of connected vehicles and the many features that enhance your comfort on the road comes at a price: the suppression of your privacy. Indeed, to guarantee both the safety performance and the comfort of your vehicle, a substantial collection of your activities is deemed essential by manufacturers.
Data is collected trough different means: sensors present on vehicles; smartphone-vehicle interfaces and through AI deduction from the previously collected data. What we call « black gold » in the 21st century has become essential for players in the automotive world. In fact, this information not only fosters innovation, enables predictive maintenance, and increases road safety, it is also enables the automotive industry players to capitalize by reselling the acquired data.
A study published on September 6th, 2023, by the Mozilla Foundation shows that connected vehicles have a negative impact on the security of our personal data. Out of 25 vehicles from different brands studied, all collected data excessively. The study even claims that connected vehicles are the « worst products ever tested in terms of personal data protection« . The last brand in the study’s ranking is indeed Tesla, due to its unreliable artificial intelligence software.
Furthermore unnerving is the fact that numerous cases of cyber-attack affecting connected vehicles are another way of significantly compromising the personal data stored by automobiles.
The constant growth of the data market is prompting institutions to seek stricter regulation. The European Union, for example, is attempting to regulate the use of personal data throughout its territory with the introduction of the Data Protection Regulation. However, users are often unaware of the information they disclose and how their data is used.
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