New research reveals serious privacy flaws in the data practices of new internet connected cars in Australia. It’s yet another reason why we need urgent reform of privacy laws.
Modern cars are increasingly equipped with internet-enabled features. Your “connected car” might automatically detect an accident and call emergency services, or send a notification if a child is left in the back seat.
But connected cars are also sophisticated surveillance devices. The data they collect can create a highly revealing picture of each driver. If this data is misused, it can result in privacy and security threats.
A report published today analysed the privacy terms from 15 of the most popular new car brands that sell connected cars in Australia.
This analysis uncovered concerning practices. There are enormous obstacles for consumers who want to find and understand the privacy terms. Some brands also make inaccurate claims that certain information is not “personal information”, implying the Privacy Act doesn’t apply to that data.
Some companies are also repurposing personal information for “marketing” or “research”, and sharing data with third parties.
I’ve tried selling the other people on signal, but nobody cares about the features and just want to use the stock messaging app their phone comes with. the only one who uses a computer to send messages is my partner and she has a iphone so there’s the imessage ecosystem she’s into already. When i move out i won’t care as much but we still need to communicate because of our kids. It’s frustrating but i know there are other things i can do. I do want to install linux on my laptop but i have battery anxiety, so i need to get over that i guess.