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Yes—connected cars can collect sensitive information about where and how you drive, and some automaker policies permit broad use or sharing of that data. But “spying” does not mean every new car records every conversation or sends every sensor reading to its maker. What a vehicle collects depends on its model, market, connected features, enrollment choices, settings, and the company’s current practices. A 2023 review of 25 car brands raised broad privacy concerns; a separate U.S. case involving GM and OnStar shows how driving data can reach consumer reporting agencies and affect insurance decisions.
What did researchers find about car privacy?
Mozilla Foundation’s Privacy Not Included project published a review of 25 major car brands on September 6, 2023. The brands spanned the United States, Germany, Japan, France, and South Korea. Mozilla said it spent 600 hours reading privacy policies, downloading apps, and contacting companies. All 25 brands received failing marks for consumer privacy, and none met Mozilla’s minimum security standards. These are the project’s findings from a review of policies and apps—not a technical audit proving what every vehicle actually collected. Mozilla Foundation’s 2023 review
The policies Mozilla examined described possible collection of precise location, driving behavior, voice, camera-derived information, health or biometric information, and data inferred about a person. Potential channels included vehicle sensors and telematics, microphones and cameras, paired phones and other devices, apps, websites, and dealerships. A policy can describe what a company reserves the right to collect or share; it does not establish that every model collects every listed category, or that a particular driver’s information was collected.
Mozilla also said it could not confirm whether any reviewed brand encrypted all personal information stored on vehicles. Mercedes was the only brand to answer its encryption questions. That is a limit on what the project could verify, not proof that no other brand encrypts vehicle data.
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Examples Mozilla highlighted in brand policies
- Mozilla described Nissan’s policy as permitting collection of highly sensitive categories and broad sharing.
- It noted Volkswagen materials referring to demographic and driving-behavior information for marketing.
- It found Toyota’s privacy documentation spread across 12 policies.
- It noted Kia’s policy referred to sex-life information.
These are Mozilla’s readings of company documents in its 2023 review, not claims that every Nissan, Volkswagen, Toyota, or Kia model collects those data about every owner.
What data can a car collect, and how?
The information involved can come from the car itself or from services connected to it. Driving-related systems may generate location and behavior data; a paired phone, vehicle app, or account can add contacts, destinations, and other personal information. Camera, microphone, or other sensor capabilities vary by vehicle and feature. Companies may also combine collected information or use it to infer facts about a driver.
Collection, inference, retention, and disclosure are different steps. A company may collect a signal, infer a pattern from it, keep the resulting information, and share some data with another party under its policy or a particular service arrangement. The 2023 review identified broad categories that policies may allow, but it did not establish a universal tally of how many new cars actively collect each type.
Can a car track where you drive or share that data with insurers?
In January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission alleged that General Motors and OnStar used a confusing enrollment process for OnStar and Smart Driver, did not clearly disclose the collection and sale of precise location and driving-behavior data, and shared covered data with consumer reporting agencies. According to the FTC, some users’ location data was collected as often as every three seconds. The data could include hard braking, late-night driving, and speeding; the FTC said consumer reporting agencies used information from GM to compile reports that insurers used in decisions to deny coverage or set rates. These details were allegations in the FTC’s announcement, not findings about every driver or automaker. FTC’s January 2025 announcement
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The FTC finalized an order settling the allegations in January 2026. The administrative order records that GM and OnStar neither admit nor deny the complaint’s allegations, except as specified. It bars disclosure of covered driver data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. Over the order’s 20-year life, it also requires affirmative express consent for covered collection, use, or sharing, subject to specified exceptions; a way for U.S. consumers to request copies of and deletion of covered data; and, in vehicles with the necessary technology, an option to disable location collection. Consumers must also have a way to decline or withdraw consent under the order’s terms. The order applies to GM and OnStar—not all automakers. FTC’s January 2026 announcement · Final administrative order
Other reported automaker-to-broker disclosures
A 2024 investigation by the offices of Senators Ron Wyden and Edward Markey reported that Hyundai shared data from 1.7 million cars with data broker Verisk, which paid Hyundai $1,043,315.69; Honda shared data from 97,000 cars, for which Verisk paid Honda $25,920. These figures come from the Senate offices’ investigation using information obtained from automakers; they are not independently measured FTC findings. Senators’ July 2024 report
Together, these examples show that driver data has reached consumer reporting agencies and data brokers. They do not establish that all automakers sell data to insurers or that all vehicles share the same information. The FTC’s general 2024 analysis discusses privacy issues in connected cars, but is not a census of automaker practices. FTC staff analysis
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There is no single setting or add-on device established to disable every channel of vehicle data collection. For a particular car, review its current privacy notice, connected-services enrollment, in-car privacy controls, and the permissions granted to its apps. Use the current manual and manufacturer guidance to identify what each control does; settings and policies can change, and options differ by model and market.
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If you are comparing vehicles, compare the same model year and market, and separate policy permissions from observed data flows. Useful questions include:
- What data categories does the policy permit, and which features or enrollment choices trigger collection?
- Can location collection be disabled? Can consent be declined without losing unrelated functions?
- Which named third parties receive information, for what purposes, and how long is it retained?
- How can you request access to or deletion of data, and does the policy explain those controls clearly?
The available findings do not establish a universal “most private car” ranking. A meaningful comparison needs answers for the specific vehicle and its current services, not just a brand-level policy summary.
How do you remove personal information before selling or donating a car?
The FTC warns that a vehicle may retain phone contacts and address books, app login information, music, navigation addresses and routes, and garage-door codes. Its guidance is specifically for selling or donating a vehicle. FTC consumer guidance
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Quick Recap
- Check the owner’s manual, dealer, or manufacturer instructions. Reset and removal steps are model-specific.
- Use the vehicle’s factory-reset option, if available. A reset may not end satellite-radio, hotspot, or other data-service subscriptions.
- Disconnect paired devices and vehicle-control apps. Remove the car from phone apps or accounts as directed by the manufacturer.
- Cancel or transfer subscriptions. Confirm connected services are no longer tied to you or your payment details.
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