Study: Connected Cars Send Data to Advertisers, Big Tech
Northeastern University and Consumer Reports tested 21 cars and found data traffic to advertisers, trackers, and Big Tech firms like Microsoft and Adobe.
A study by researchers at Northeastern University and Consumer Reports tested 21 cars from 19 brands and found patterns of data traffic to advertisers and trackers. The testing also showed that cars shared data with Big Tech firms including Microsoft and Adobe.
Using a car's companion app can multiply the data-sharing problem, the testing found. All tested cars contacted a first-party domain of their manufacturer, but some went much further. The Tesla Model 3 contacted 34 advertising, tracking, and analytic domains plus 37 domains from apps integrated into its infotainment system.
Alphabet's domains were the most frequently contacted, according to the study. The Buick Envista and Mercedes-Benz EQS did not appear to contact any domains beyond the manufacturer's.
Researchers parked 11 electric cars in a Faraday tent to test whether loss of cellular signal would push traffic to Wi-Fi. The study was reported by arstechnica.com.
In 2023, the Mozilla Foundation published a report on automaker privacy policies, calling cars the worst product category it had reviewed for privacy.
Quick answers
Which cars were tested in the study?
The study tested 21 cars from 19 brands, including the Tesla Model 3, Buick Envista, and Mercedes-Benz EQS.
What did the study find about the Tesla Model 3?
The Tesla Model 3 contacted 34 advertising, tracking, and analytic domains plus 37 domains from apps integrated into its infotainment system.
Did any cars avoid contacting extra domains?
The Buick Envista and Mercedes-Benz EQS did not appear to contact any domains beyond the manufacturer's.