Study Says Connected Cars Are Absolutely Selling Your Personal Data

According to a comprehensive joint study by Northeastern University and Consumer Reports, nearly every major automaker selling vehicles in the United States is actively sharing owner data with outside tracking and advertising companies.

Using a specialized Wi-Fi access point to intercept and analyze outbound data traffic, the team discovered that 19 of the 21 cars tested were actively sending data off to third-party domains.

The vehicles-and especially their companion apps-were pinging a web of tracking and advertising companies.

Honda stood out as the lone bright spot among the group, actively adjusting its data practices during the study to stop sending precise GPS location data to third-party tracking companies.

As separate reporting from Consumer Reports highlights, this aggregated vehicle data is increasingly bought and sold by banks, insurance companies, lenders, and retailers.