All the personal data your car collects without your knowledge

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month in South Africa. It also happens to be Transport Month locally, and while some may think the two themes intersect, they actually do.

To that end, most modern vehicles are more connected to the internet and IoT ecosystems than ever before, and while this has made accessing essential services and solutions easier, it is not without its problems.

According to Momentum Insure, these issues particularly centre around privacy, as connected cars collect far more personal data than drivers and passengers actually realise.

“The type of data your car is collecting depends on the make, model, age, and features of the vehicle, but connected cars can typically collect location information such as where you’ve been, how long you stayed, and the routes you took, especially if you use built-in navigation or a connected app. It also collects driving behaviour such as speed, braking, acceleration, cornering and, in some vehicles, seatbelt use, or how often driver-assist features are engaged,” the company highlighted in a release to Hypertext.

“Requests made to the in-car assistant may be processed or stored to improve the service. Your vehicle may also be collecting camera footage from dashcams, parking cameras, and driver-assist systems, depending on the vehicle. Contacts, messages, call logs, and media preferences synced from your phone, as well as information linked to the manufacturer’s app or your account may also be collected,” it added.

As such, it more important than ever for drivers and passengers to understand what the car knows, who can see it, and how it might help to become better protected.

“Motorists are often surprised by how much information their vehicle can generate. It’s not necessarily sinister but is simply the by-product of features designed to make driving safer and more convenient. It is however worth knowing what’s being recorded,” noted Funeka Ngewu (pictured below), executive head of Claims and Claims Procurement at Momentum Insure.

Funeka Ngewu, executive head of Claims and Claims Procurement at Momentum Insure. Image provided.

Here, Ngewu shared that it is important for drivers to be informed, pointing out a handful of instances where privacy comes into play. For example, if you sell your car, hand it back after a rental or lease, or trade it in, your phone contacts, home address, and saved locations may still be stored in the system unless you clear them.

Added to this, like any connected device, a vehicle’s apps, accounts and software can be targeted by criminals looking to access personal information or, in some cases, remote features.

“The goal isn’t to be alarmed. It’s to be aware. You wouldn’t hand your phone to a stranger without a second thought. This same common sense should be applied to the technology in your car,” Ngewu emphasised.

The executive is also quick to point out that all the elements that make a connected vehicle a potential privacy nightmare, are also the aspects that could prove lifesaving in future.

“After an accident, theft or hijacking, most people are shaken, stressed, and trying to piece together what happened. Details such as the exact time, the sequence of events or how fast you were travelling can be hard to recall accurately, let alone prove,” illustrated Momentum Insure.

“Depending on the vehicle and technology available, connected data may help in a number of ways. Location and timestamps can help confirm where and when an incident took place. Vehicle activity, such as speed, braking, or impact information, can help build a clearer picture of what happened. Sensor and camera data can corroborate a motorist’s account of events, including the actions of other road users. Tracking information may help in recovering a stolen vehicle or confirming where it was at a given time,” it continued.

In terms of how drivers and vehicle owners can better understand what personal data is being captured, the company outlined some simple, yet effective, steps. These include checking the owner’s manual, the manufacturer’s app, or the vehicle’s settings menu, as well as reading the privacy information that comes with connected services.

Another crucial step includes reviewing your vehicle’s privacy and data-sharing settings. Here, many vehicles actually allow you to limit location tracking, switch off certain data sharing, or decide what’s stored by the manufacturer.

“Before selling, trading in or returning a vehicle, delete your accounts, contacts, and saved locations, and reset the system. If your vehicle has a dashcam, tracker, or other connected technology, mention it when you claim. It may assist the claims process,” said the insurer.

“The best approach is a balanced one. Be mindful of your personal information and take sensible steps to protect it, concluded Ngewu.

[Image – Photo by TSD Studio on Unsplash]

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