The Senators called it ‘particularly insulting’ that customer data from automakers was sold for just a few cents per car. They have requested an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) into the sharing of driving data of millions of Americans without consent with data brokers by auto manufacturers like General Motors (GM), Honda, and Hyundai. The data included information on acceleration and braking, which was shared with Verisk Analytics for the purpose of creating driving behavior history reports sold to auto insurance firms. The automakers failed to obtain informed consent from consumers before sharing their data and used manipulative techniques to enroll consumers in programs without full disclosure. The lawmakers found this practice unacceptable, especially considering the high price of cars sold by these automakers.
Telecom operators that provide connectivity solutions have the capability to gather telematics data from vehicles. This data includes a wide range of information stored in vehicle memory such as phone books, call logs, passwords, biometrics, text messages, navigation history, home addresses, third-party apps, vehicle credentials, garage door codes, medical information, and financial details.
The Biden administration is currently investigating concerns regarding data collection from Chinese-made vehicles. Alan Estevez, undersecretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, mentioned during a recent forum that they are focusing on specific components and software within the vehicle that manage data and software related to the vehicle.
Estevez emphasized that modern cars are equipped with a significant amount of software that captures various data points including images, drive system information, phone connectivity, call history, and location tracking, which can reveal a lot of personal information about the vehicle owner.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
