We create Privacy Policies for a living (try not to get jealous.) As such, we usually write about data privacy online.
Back in OUR day, that used to be a computer-only problem. Now it’s an almost-everything problem – from your computer to your microwave. It turns out, cars are no exception.
Over the past year or so, we’ve seen several stories involving car manufacturers collecting, selling, or leaking data belonging to owners of their cars. Stories including:
Nissan, Kia ‘collect data about drivers’ sexual activity’; and
Automakers Are Telling Your Insurance Company How You Really Drive.
These stories inspired us to invite Andrea Amico, founder of Privacy4Cars onto episode 21 of Privacy Lawls to discuss this further. It turns out new cars and data privacy are not playing nice together.
Here are 5 ways your new car might be collecting and sharing your personal information.
Table of Contents
1) Text Messages Sync
New cars can read off text messages to prevent drivers from being tempted to look down at their phones, making this a useful feature for safety and convenience.
Unfortunately, by enabling this feature, you are allowing your car and possibly the manufacturer to gain access to all the information inside those messages as well. Sure, the messages might be mostly memes and ‘what are we doing for dinner?’ texts. That being said, more sensitive information is often passed through texts as well, such as:
- Doctor appointment reminders
- Prescription pick-up reminders
- Photographs
- Addresses
- Social security numbers (not advised, but it happens)
- Financial information
2) Phone-call Sync
Similar to text messages, allowing phone calls and voicemails to be played through your car speakers gives manufacturers access to what was said or shared.
Connecting your phone in this way often means your car has access to your contacts list as well. So, not only could you be sharing your phone number with the manufacturer, but you could also be sharing everyone you know’s phone number.
*Note: you’ll notice a lot of ‘coulds’ and ‘maybes’ in this blog. That’s because there are a bunch of vehicle manufacturers with different Privacy Policies, Terms and Conditions, privacy practices, and software. Some may store this information while others do not. Be sure to research whichever manufacturer that built your car to see if their privacy practices are solid.
3) Navigation details
Built-in navigation comes with most new vehicles in 2025. This means your car and the manufacturer knows where you are at all times. Modern cars can even keep track of all the places you’ve been, when you went there, and predict (based on this data) where you might want to go next.
Who knew convenience could be so creepy?
4) Driving Behavior
In most new cars, computers are involved with braking, steering, and accelerating. Computers and sensors are also used for lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control.
This means a car knows exactly how you drive and navigate traffic. Do you speed? Do you brake too hard? Are you following cars too closely? Do you cut people off? Do you do donuts in abandoned parking lots?
Cars can track all this information. Many manufacturers have even been caught selling this data to insurance companies. Because of this, some people have seen their rates “mysteriously” increase.
5) Voice Commands
It has become common knowledge that the Siri’s and Alexas of the world are keeping track of your conversations 24/7. However, people tend to forget that the same technology is used in most new cars.
Cars are designed to react to voice commands. That means it is always listening for whatever words are used to activate them.
What does this all mean?!
Let’s face it, we now have Smart Refrigerators… It’s safe to say that some people will happily trade a bit of their privacy for additional convenience. That being said, others don’t quite realize that this technology can only exist at the detriment of their privacy.
If all of this is worth it to you, then you are not wrong for getting a new car. There is no denying that this technology can improve both safety and convenience while operating a vehicle.
BUT, it might be worth noting that Andrea (the guy we interviewed for Privacy Lawls who spends his days studying how car manufacturers treat your private information) refuses to drive anything newer than his 13-year-old vehicle.
