As cars have gotten smarter, user data has become more important. It turns out that some brands that offer special assistants and multimedia options to users are not as innocent as they think. Mozilla, the developer of Firefox, lists the automobile brands that should be avoided.
Mozilla: 25 automakers use your data without permission
A new report by the Mozilla Foundation shows that many major automakers are collecting and selling drivers’ sensitive personal data without their permission. The report found that 25 major car brands are failing to adequately protect consumer privacy.
According to the report, automakers can collect health diagnostics, facial expressions and genetic data through sensors, cameras and apps in vehicles. More than half of them even share consumer data with government authorities.
According to the Foundation’s report, Nissan is one of the most egregious companies when it comes to safety. The company allegedly uses an algorithm that assesses a driver’s “characteristics, psychological tendencies, behaviors, attitudes and abilities.” User profiles are then sold to third-party companies.
Other manufacturers included giants such as Kia, GM, Ford and Hyundai. Tesla is also scaring its customers by saying that disabling data collection would “render vehicles inoperable”.
Jen Caltrider, executive director of the Mozilla Foundation, said: “Nissan and Tesla’s privacy policy is one of the most surprising things I’ve ever read. They don’t even hesitate to say that they can collect all this.”
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