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New cars are computers on wheels. Do not you believe me? The average car has more than one these days 1,400 microchips in the. Because your car is connected, it can also collect a lot of data about you. Your car is now just like your phone, computer or tablet – always listening.
Here’s what you need to know and how to stop this invasion of your privacy.
What do they want to know?
A new online tool shows all the information your car has about you. It’s called the Vehicle Privacy Report and it’s made by a company called Privacy4Cars. All you have to do is enter your car’s VIN and the tool will spit out all the privacy policies about the company that built your vehicle.
Here’s what you’ll find when you plug in your VIN:
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- Identifiers that show who you are.
- Location data showing where you are and where you went.
- Biometrics, which includes data collected by your car’s microphone and camera.
- Voice recordings collected by your in-car voice assistant – are you asking for directions or calling via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto?
- Data synced from your devices connected to the car via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB, such as smartphones and tablets.
The tool also states with whom your data is shared, such as insurance companies, the government and data brokers.
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Look away, Kia drivers
We plugged the chassis number into one of my co-workers’ car, which happens to be a Kia, and it gave a full breakdown.
While the car isn’t a four-wheel drive and doesn’t have telematics — that’s a method of tracking vehicles with a GPS — it did say that Kia is known for collecting locations, identifiers and user profiles. It also noted that the Korean automaker shares and sells to its affiliates, service providers and the government.
Do you want to try it out? Go to vehicleprivacyreport.com.
Do you want to remove tracking data from your car? There’s an app for that
Here’s some good news. Privacy4Cars has a free iOS and Android app that removes your personal data from vehicles you drive or are connected to. This includes your phone book, call logs, text messages, browsing history, home address, garage door codes, passwords, biometrics, vehicle references, and more.
The app includes visual step-by-step instructions and makes it easy for you to delete personal information. Use Privacy4Cars after every rental and rideshare and before you sell, return or trade in your vehicle.
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