The Shocking Truth About Your Connected Car’s Privacy Revealed by New Study

A recent study conducted by researchers from Northeastern University and Consumer Reports has shed light on the concerning privacy implications of connected cars. The study, which tested 21 cars from 19 different brands, uncovered alarming patterns of data sharing with advertisers and big tech companies like Microsoft and Adobe. It also found that using companion apps in your car can exacerbate the issue.

In a previous report by the Mozilla Foundation in 2023, it was discovered that automotive privacy policies were lacking across the board. However, the latest study took a more hands-on approach by analyzing real-time data traffic from the cars in various scenarios, including idling and driving. The researchers even went as far as parking 11 cars, exclusively electric vehicles, in a Faraday tent to observe their behavior when disconnected from cellular signals.

While attempts to decrypt the data packets were unsuccessful, the researchers were able to gather valuable insights from network traces, revealing which domains the cars were connecting to and the timing of transmissions. Interestingly, all cars were connected to an OEM domain, but some cars like the Buick Envista and Mercedes-Benz EQS stayed within that domain, while others like Tesla were found to communicate with multiple advertising and tracking domains.

Notably, the most accessed domain was Alphabet, likely due to the prevalence of Android Automotive OS in connected cars. Media streaming and mapping companies were also prominently featured in the data sharing, raising further concerns about privacy and data security in connected vehicles.