The rapid development of smart cars has raised concerns about data privacy and security. According to the latest report from the Mozilla Foundation, Hyundai Connected Car was named the worst official privacy-preserving product category.
The Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization known for products like the Firefox browser. The organization has produced several reports on how products such as health apps handle user data and provides guidance on privacy and security.
The survey covered 25 European and American car brands, including Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, Renault and others. The findings suggest that all car brands are collecting unnecessary personal data and using this information for purposes other than operating the vehicle.
Automakers not only collect car-related data such as mileage and geolocation, but also collect, store, and share information related to passengers, nearby pedestrians, and even access many types of information such as connected devices such as mobile phones and apps such as Google Maps.
However, this data collection does not seem to have received enough attention. According to the survey, 84% of car brands said they could share personal data with other businesses such as service providers, 76% explicitly stated in their privacy policies that they could sell personal data, and 56% said they could share personal information with governments or law enforcement agencies on "request."
Right to data erasure and Tesla's situation
Worryingly, 92% of car brands do not grant all drivers the right to delete personal data, and only two companies, Renault and Dacia, under the same parent company, have granted drivers this right. And Toyota publishes the highest number of lengthy privacy policies of any brand.
Notably, Mozilla identified Tesla as the only car brand labeled "untrustworthy artificial intelligence." Mozilla believes Tesla has failed to meet evaluation criteria in terms of data use, data control, track record, security and artificial intelligence. This is also the second time Tesla has been identified as a "bad privacy" product by Mozilla, the last time because of its artificial intelligence chatbot.
Tesla makes it clear in its privacy document that it does not sell or rent users' personal information to third parties and offers the option to "opt out" and deactivate the connection. However, Mozilla believes that Tesla's explanation makes little practical sense, because Tesla vehicles will lose most of their functionality if they are not connected, making this option almost impossible to actually operate.
The importance of data privacy security issues
The report highlights data privacy security concerns in the smart car space. As cars become more connected, users' personal data becomes easier to access and exploit, posing a potential threat to privacy security. Automakers need to pay more attention to data privacy protections and give users more control and transparency to ensure that their data is not misused or leaked.
In addition, governments and regulators should also take action to establish stricter data privacy regulations and standards to protect consumers. Consumers should also read the privacy policy carefully when buying a smart car and understand how their data will be used to make informed decisions. In this digital era, data privacy issues cannot be ignored and require the common attention and efforts of the whole society.