Automobile Manufacturers Now Collecting Vast Quantities of Personal Data
American Thinker | 9 Sep, 2023 | Eric UtterMore than half of the brands reviewed said they can share data with government when requested, without receiving a court order.
According to a new report published by the Mozilla Foundation, an American non-profit organization, automobile manufacturers are collecting vast quantities of data on drivers and passengers, with some even tracking drivers’—and passengers’— sexual activity.
Mozilla reviewed 25 automotive brands amongst 15 car companies. The results could be shocking to many. German manufacturer Volkswagen said it could record drivers’ voices to profile them for targeted ads. More than half of the brands said they can share data with government and law enforcement when requested, without receiving a court order. Moreover, the report stated that Subaru insisted the very fact of being a passenger in one of its cars implies consent to its privacy policy!
Japanese car manufacturer Nissan even said it could sell information about drivers and passengers’ sexual activity, intelligence, and health diagnosis to data brokers, law enforcement agencies, and other companies.
Jen Caltrider, lead researcher at Mozilla Foundation (incidentally, the nonprofit owner of the company running the Firefox Browser), said:
The amount of data that these car companies blatantly said that they could collect was shocking. It’s like nobody’s ever challenged them or asked them questions about privacy, and so they just include everything.
…. They found that the industry hoovered up massive amounts of data through dozens of sensors and technology built into newer car models that calculate people’s weight as they sit down, filmed the car inside and outside with cameras, listened to conversations through microphones and tracked users via connected apps on smartphones.
Does the American Government really love my singing that much? I am impressed.
DamnCat:
“Felines . . . Whoa, whoa, whoa, felines . . . .”
Not, “What’s new pussycat?”
0hWho’s watching?
Tell me, who’s watching?
Who’s watching me?
… I’m just an average man with an average life
I work from nine to five, hey, hell, I pay the price
All I want is to be left alone in my average home
But why do I always feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone and?
… I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Tell me is it just a dream?
… When I come home at night
I bolt the door real tight
People call me on the phone, I’m trying to avoid
But can the people on TV see me or am I just paranoid?
When I’m in the shower, I’m afraid to wash my hair
‘Cause I might open my eyes and find someone standing there
People say I’m crazy, just a little touched
But maybe showers remind me of Psycho too much
That’s why
… I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Who’s playing tricks on me?
… I don’t know anymore
Are the neighbors watching me? (Who’s watching?)
Well, is the mailman watching me? (Tell me, who’s watching?)
And I don’t feel safe anymore, oh, what a mess
I wonder who’s watching me now (who?), the IRS?
… I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Tell me is it just a dream?
… I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Who’s playing tricks on me?
(Who’s watching?)
… I always feel like somebody’s watching me (oh, oh)
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
(Who’s watching me?)