A recent Mozilla Foundation study called modern cars a “nightmare” when it comes to protecting personal data. This study, which raised serious concerns about user privacy, found that car manufacturers collect excessive and unnecessary personal datausing and reselling them as you wish.

The Mozilla Foundation, which is based in San Francisco, California, tested the models of the 25 most popular car brands on the market. The conclusions are alarming: all without exception collect a significant amount of personal data far in excess of what is required for the safe operation of their vehicles.

“Cars are the worst privacy product we’ve ever tested”– said the Mozilla Foundation, which previously studied products such as smart watches, smart speakers and meditation apps.

Your car will know almost everything about you

Specifically, manufacturers may collect a variety of information ranging from data related to vehicle usage (such as driving habits) to information related to related vehicle services, including data from third-party applications such as like navigation software or streaming radio.

In addition, the onboard software can also receive data from the smartphone if it is connected to the car or if the user has downloaded the manufacturer’s app, thereby putting the user’s privacy at risk.

Among the 25 tested brands, only Renault and Dacia, belonging to the same group, specify that drivers have the right to request the deletion of personal data collected while using their car. A glimmer of hope in a dark privacy landscape.

Surprisingly, 84% of manufacturers surveyed plan to share the information they collect, while 76% (or 19 brands) plan to sell it, highlighting the commercial value of personal driver data.

Tesla and Nissan are attached

The study also ranked brands based on several criteria related to the protection of personal data Tesla was dead last. This unenviable position is largely due to its artificial intelligence software, which the Mozilla Foundation describes as “unreliable”. Mozilla, known for its Firefox browser, positions itself as a privacy advocate, which makes Tesla’s performance all the more troubling.

Tesla has also been repeatedly criticized for malfunctioning driver assistance software. As of June 2022, a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) listed 273 crashes involving Teslas in which the driver assistance program was active 30 seconds before the crash. The US Department of Justice has even opened an investigation into the matter, according to a stock market filing published in late January.

In addition to Tesla, Nissan ranks second among the least privacy-friendly brands. The Mozilla Foundation has highlighted that Nissan can collect data on the “sexual activity” of its drivers, which raises doubts about the privacy of the collected information.

Regarding the security of this data, The study shows that 17 of the 25 brands tested have been exposed and hacked in the past three yearsthereby exposing drivers’ personal information to serious risks.

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