Bad news: your car is a spy! New internet-connected models of every major car brand have failed Mozilla's privacy and security tests. That's according to new findings from the Mozilla *Privacy Not Included project. The not-for-profit organisation found that every major car brand fails to adhere to the most basic privacy and security standards in new internet-connected models, and all 25 of the brands examined by Mozilla passed the organisation's test. Mozilla found brands including BMW, Ford, Toyota, Toyota, Tesla and Subaru collect data on drivers, including race, facial expressions, weight, health information and where you drive. Some of the cars tested collected data you wouldn't expect your car to know, including details about sexual activity, race and immigration status, according to Mozilla. "Many people think of their car as a private space - where to call your doctor, have a personal conversation with your child on the way to school, cry over a breakup, or drive in places you might not want know about," Jen Caltrider, programme director of the *Privacy Not Included project, said in a press release. "But that perception no longer matches reality. All of today's new cars are privacy nightmares on wheels that collect huge amounts of personal information." Modern cars use a variety of data-gathering tools, including microphones, cameras and phones connected by drivers to their cars. Manufacturers also collect data through their apps and websites and then may sell or share that data with third parties. The worst "offender" was Nissan, Mozilla said. The carmaker's privacy policy suggests that the automaker collects information including sexual activity, health diagnostic data and genetic data, though there are no details on exactly how that data is collected. Nissan reserves the right to share and sell "preferences, characteristics, psychological tendencies, predispositions, behaviours, attitudes, intelligence, skills and aptitudes" to data brokers, law enforcement and other third parties. "When we collect or distribute personal data, we comply with all applicable laws and provide the utmost transparency," said Lloryn Love-Carter, a Nissan spokesperson. "Nissan's privacy policy incorporates a broad definition of personal information and sensitive personal information, as expressly listed in the growing patchwork of evolving privacy laws, and includes the types of data it may receive through incidental means." Other brands haven't fared much better. Volkswagen, for example, collects your driving behaviours, such as seatbelt and braking habits, and associates them with details such as age and gender for targeted advertising. Kia's privacy policy reserves the right to monitor your "sex life," and Mercedes-Benz ships cars with TikTok pre-installed on the infotainment system, an app that has its own slew of privacy concerns. "BMW USA offers our customers comprehensive data privacy notices regarding the collection of their personal information. For individual control, BMW USA allows vehicle drivers to make granular choices about the collection and processing of their personal information," said Phil DiIanni, BMW spokesman. DiIanni said BMW has not analysed the study, but said that "BMW USA does not sell our customers' personal information in the vehicle" and the company is taking "comprehensive steps to protect our customers' data." Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman Andrea Berg declined to comment because the company hasn't analysed the study, but Berg said the MercedesMe Connect app offers users privacy settings and the ability to opt out of certain services. Gizmodo contacted the other manufacturers named in the story, but none immediately offered comment. The privacy and security issues extend beyond the nature of the car companies' data . Mozilla said it could not determine whether the brands encrypt the data they collect, and only Mercedes-Benz responded to the organisation's questions. Brian Weiss, a spokesman for the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, distributed a link to a letter the organisation wrote to Congress about its privacy principles. Those principles "are in effect today and are enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission," Weiss said. Questions about consent are also essentially a joke. Subaru, for example, says that as a passenger in a car, you are considered a "user" who has given the company consent to collect information about you. Mozilla said that a number of car brands say it's the responsibility of drivers to inform passengers about their car's privacy policies - as if privacy policies are meant for drivers in the first place. Toyota, for example, has a constellation of 12 different privacy policies for your reading pleasure. Original source:https://gizmodo.com/mozilla-new-cars-data-privacy-report-1850805416
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