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Is your car spying on you? Here's how to
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check. You see, I just purchased a
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Toyota 4Runner after 18 years of driving
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a Honda Element. It was like a brick
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phone on wheels, but now I'm driving a
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smartphone with all kinds of tracking
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technology. So, the first thing I did
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before even leaving the dealership was
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turn off as much data collection as
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possible. I downloaded the
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manufacturer's app, entered my VIN, and
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then declined all connected services
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features. These wirelessly transmit my
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location and vehicle health to Toyota.
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Then I went to vehicle
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privacyreport.com, entered my VIN, and I
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about died when I saw all the tracking
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still on my car. My 4Erunner collects
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identifiers like my name, mailing
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address, email, and demographic info. It
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also collects biometrics, including my
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geol location, driver's license, and
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financial info. And I learned my car not
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only tracks my data, it sells it, too.
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My car sells information to affiliates
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like sponsors, partners, and
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advertisers. It shares my data with
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service providers and its affiliated
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insurance company, but only if I
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provided consent, which I don't remember
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doing. And finally, it should come as a
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surprise to no one that car companies
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will share your data with the government
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when legally obligated to do so. So, I
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opted out of targeted advertising, the
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sharing or selling of my data, and any
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marketing communications. Now, check
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your car's privacy and let me
