Your Car is Spying on You: The Hidden Truth About Data Collection

Your car is spying on you, and that sucks. Sure, we expect it from our phones and other smart devices like our smart fridges. But our cars? Why? Why must they desecrate the holiest of sanctuaries? We take a closer look at why car companies are collecting your data.

Data Collection: What's Going On?

Corporations have a lot to gain with your private information, no matter how small those nuggets of info might be. YouTube gives you suggested videos based off what you watched. Google uses your search to sell targeted ads. And Amazon tracks what products you order and suggests new ones based off your history. Or they suggest slightly different versions of a product I just bought! Amazon, I don't need another jean steamer, I bought one and it works just fine.

Car companies are no different. They collect information on you, whether that's how far you drive, where you drive, how efficient your car is, or what you listen to on the way to work. All that data is valuable in figuring out exactly who you are as a consumer. But what are they doing with all this information, and how is it legal?

The History of Data Collection in Cars

General Motors realized pretty early on that data collection from cars was useful. OnStar was founded in 1996 with an aim to make driving safer. Yes, OnStar, the blue button you hit to be saved after a car crash. The OnStar system wasn't just a way to call an ambulance, though. It was one of the first of its kind to offer hands-free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, and other emergency services that were included with your subscription.

Later on, though, it evolved to track diagnostics, vehicle location, and how often you use your vehicle: all in real time. According to the OnStar website, the information collected can be used to improve the quality, safety, and security of their products and services to develop new products, services, and for marketing. OnStar's admitting that their data is used for marketing. They're basically doing the same thing as Google.

Marketing and Transparency

OnStar states that all this information is presented to the driver before they buy a subscription. If the driver does not consent to their data being harvested, then that particular car isn't tracked. So why doesn't everyone just not consent to OnStar tracking their data? This type of data has never been used in cars before so people don't expect it.

Literally millions of drivers have been tracked by OnStar, who probably just think of it as an emergency service. Plus, nobody reads those contracts anyway. How many of us have actually read the fine print on contracts we sign? I've literally never read a word of an iTunes agreement, yet I'll click "read" every single time. I don't need another thing getting between me and Limp Bizkit.

The Reality of Car Data Collection

So what are car companies doing with all this information, and how is it legal? We'll get to that. But first, let's talk about how long this has been going on. The reality is, a lot longer than you think. General Motors realized pretty early on that data collection from cars was useful, and OnStar was founded in 1996 with an aim to make driving safer.

The Evolution of Car Data Collection

OnStar evolved over time to track diagnostics, vehicle location, and how often you use your vehicle: all in real time. According to the OnStar website, the information collected can be used to improve the quality, safety, and security of their products and services to develop new products, services, and for marketing. OnStar's admitting that their data is used for marketing.

The Implications of Car Data Collection

So what does this mean for you? The implications are significant. Your car is tracking your every move, collecting information about your driving habits, and using that data to sell targeted ads. It may seem like a small price to pay for the convenience of having a GPS system in your car, but the reality is, it's not just about convenience. It's about profit.

The Bottom Line

Your car is spying on you, and that sucks. The truth is, car companies are collecting your data, and they're using it to sell targeted ads. But how is it legal? And what does this mean for you? We'll explore these questions in more detail in the next section of this article.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Your car is spyingon you, and that sucks.Sure, we expect it from our phonesand other smart deviceslike our smart fridges.But our cars? Why?Why must they desecratethe holiest of sanctuaries?Yeah, I yell at otherdrivers, I sing to myself,I try to name all 50 states topass the time on my commute.But what are they gonnado with all that data?Corporations have a lot to gainwith your private information,no matter how small thosenuggets of info might be.YouTube gives you suggested videosbased off what you watched.Google uses your searchesto sell targeted ads.And Amazon tracks what products you orderand suggests new onesbased off your history.Or they suggest slightly differentversions of a product I just bought!Amazon, I don't need another jean steamer,I bought one and it works just fine.Car companies are no different.They collect information on you,whether that's how far you drive,where you drive, howefficient your car is,or what you listen to on the way to work.All that data is valuable in figuring outexactly who you are as a consumer.So what are they doingwith all this information,and how is it legal?We'll get to that.But first, let's talk about howlong this has been going on.Spoiler, a lot longer than you think.General Motors realized pretty early onthat data collection from cars was useful.OnStar was founded in 1996with an aim to make driving safer.Yes, OnStar, the blue button you hitto be saved after a car crash.The OnStar system wasn't just a wayto call an ambulance, though.It was one of the first of it's kindto offer hands-free calling,turn-by-turn navigation,and other emergency servicesthat were included with your subscription.Later on though, it evolvedto track diagnostics,vehicle location, and how often youuse your vehicle: all in real time.According to the OnStar website,the information collected can be usedto improve the quality, safety,and security of theirproducts and servicesto develop new products,services, and for marketing.OnStar's admitting that theirdata is used for marketing.They're basically doingthe same thing as Google.OnStar states that all this informationis presented to the driverbefore they buy a subscription.If the driver does not consentto their data being harvested,then that particular car isn't tracked.So why doesn't everyone just not consentto OnStar tracking their data?This type of data has never been usedin cars before so people don't expect it.Literally millions of drivershave been tracked by OnStar,who probably just think ofit as an emergency service.Plus, nobody reads those contracts anyway.How many of us have actually readthe fine print on contracts we sign?I've literally never read oneword of an iTunes agreement,yet I'll click read every single time.I don't need another thinggetting between me and Limp Bizkit.("Rollin' (Air RaidVehicle)" by Limp Bizkit)Oh, Wes, you beautiful son of a (bleeped).But the worst part, seethat star on the logo?Flip it upside down and what do you get?That's right, the Orderof the Eastern Star,the symbol of the Freemasons.Explain yourself, OnStar.What are you doing with all my data?What do you know about me?What are you telling Uncle Sam?OnStar was the first, but it definitelywasn't the last to spy on you.Today, every car company has their own wayof tracking real-time data from drivers.The term connected vehicle describes a carthat transmits data via the internet.And according to ABI Research,98% of new cars soldin the U.S. and Europewill be connectedvehicles by the year 2021.As of today, there aremore than 78 million carson the road with embeddedcyber connections.That's a lot of data!So where does it all go?Well, that data can be super usefulwhen it comes to improving transportation,reducing emissions,reducing traffic accidents,and of course, detecting crashes.But in my opinion, the mostvaluable connected deviceis the event data recorder, or EDR.It's basically a black box you wouldfind in an airplane, but for your car.EDR is a generic term for atamper-proof memory devicethat is triggered in theevent of an accident.Anything from a suddenchange in wheel speedto an engine fault can trip the device.Once it's triggered, it recordsa wide range of elementsthat might be usefulto crash investigators.Things like whether or notthe seat belts were buckled,whether brakes were applied,the speed at the time of thecrash, anything like that.Most EDRs store this data on arugged memory device within the car,but systems like OnStar transmitsome of that data to off-site locations.While G.M. and OnStar have streamlinedtheir data collection and processing,many car companies don't really knowhow to consume the massive stream of datathey're receiving from their vehicles.That's when a companylike Otonomo comes in,like Winston Wolfe to clean things up.- I'm Winston Wolfe, I solve problems.- Otonomo describes itself asthe first connected car data marketplace.Frankly, a very ominousdescription for a companythat takes all the raw datafrom drivers, analyzes it,and wraps it up in a neat littlepackage with a bow on top.Why does it need a bow, you ask?Well, because Otonomo sells that packageto third-party companies and splitsthe profits with car manufacturers.That's (bleeped) up, man!(sighing) This data canbe so-called benign info,like your commute routes,your average speed,and whether or not youwear your seat belt.Or they can be selling more personal data,like who you listen to on the radio,what stores you frequent,or even your weight.Yeah, those little sensorson your seat for the airbags,your car knows you're a thick boy.Look, I'm insecure enoughabout my weight as it is,I don't need Otonomoknowing how much I weighso Amazon could suggest XXL t-shirtsand a shake-weight for some reason.Why do they even sell those things?It's just like your just ...I'm not even gonna do that on camera.Worse, it's unclear who the car companiesare selling your data to.Understandably, they won't come outwith a list of who is buying your data.I will say it does make sensefor a navigation companylike Waze to use it to optimize routes,or insurance companies to know if you weara seat belt or not andhike up your premium.The biggest problem withall this data collectingis that it's still prettynew to the car industry,so it hasn't been regulated yet.Other industries likehealth care, education,and finance, they collect your data, too,but there are strict lawsdealing with how they use it.Don't worry, though.A bunch of car companies got togetherand wrote a letter to theFederal Trade Commission,promising they wouldn'tdo anything nefariouswith all the data they're collecting.That makes me feel great.I don't have to worry about anything.Key features of the letterincluded transparencyregarding how auto makers collect, use,and share informationretrieved from vehicles,heightened protections forsensitive types of consumer data,and limitations on the sharing ofgeolocation informationwith government authorities.But promises don't mean (bleeped),and it's clear that datais already being abusedby car manufacturers.I mean, how many of youeven knew about thisbefore you clicked on this video?The data we are unknowingly giving upmeans tons of dollar signsfor car manufacturers.And this is just the start of it,profit is only going toget bigger as time goes on.In fact, a new report byconsulting firm McKinseyestimates that revenue inthis sector could reach450 to 750 billiondollars by the year 2030.I don't know what it is,but something tells mecar manufacturers might not stickto their guidelines theyset in their little letter.That's a lot of money.So, yes, if you own a new car,chances are your car is spying on you.But there is something you can do.If you're buying a newcar, go ahead and opt outof the data tacking if it worries you.But remember, chances areyou have a cell phone,which is doing the sameexact thing, (laughs)so there might not be any way to avoid itunless you're completely off the grid.Honestly, I could care lessif car manufacturers knowthat I'm driving to JerseyMike's three times a week.But I understand why other peoplewould have a problem with it.After all, where can we be incomplete privacy if not in our cars?Speaking of spying,there's something you cando right now to protectyour privacy online.This episode of WheelHouse isbrought to you by ExpressVPN,a service I personally use onmy phone and my laptop even at work.I don't trust anybody.When you shop online,it's possible for peopleto steal your credit card information.I would rather people don't stealmy credit card information,which is why I use ExpressVPN.For less than seven dollars a month,and a 30-day money back guarantee,ExpressVPN hides your IP address and otherimportant identifiersfrom other people online.Every website can see your IP addressand location, even in Incognito Mode.I bet you didn't know that.With ExpressVPN, I feelsafe from the prying eyesof nosy websites, and advertisers,and those freakin' hackerstrying to steal my stuff.You don't need to see my stuff!Find out how you can get three months freeby clicking the link inthe description below.That's expressvpn.com/wheelhouse.Take back your internet privacy today.I wish I did it sooner.Trust no one.Do, do, do, do, do, do,do, do, do, do, do, do, do.Siri, are you spying on me?- No.- Like this video,subscribe, contribute tothe social media surveillance machineby following me on Instagram @NOLANJSYKESand following Donut @DONUTMEDIA.Be nice, see you next time.