Imagine getting into your car, adjusting the seat, and queuing up your playlist, only to unknowingly hand over the blueprint of your personal life. Automakers spying on you is a thing now.

Modern vehicles are more than just a means of transportation; they’re surveillance machines on wheels. From your location and driving habits to your voice, face, and even details about your sex life, modern cars are harvesting shocking volumes of personal data, often without your explicit consent. In this article, we’ll show you exactly how to protect yourself.

But first, let’s pop the hood and see what’s going on under the dashboard.

Data = Dollars

Automakers view your data as a goldmine. Whether through direct targeted ads, partnerships, or outright data sales, car companies are turning bytes into bucks. A widely cited estimate by McKinsey & Co. projected that the global market for car data monetization will balloon to $450–750 billion by 2030. In other words, the industry believes that car data could become as valuable as the cars themselves.

“The industry believes that car data could become as valuable as the cars themselves.”

Some manufacturers even include clauses in the sales contract or user agreements that, by using the car’s connected services, you “consent” to this extensive data collection and sharing. 

In many cases, simply riding as a passenger in a connected car could be deemed consent – for example, Subaru’s policy says if you’re a passenger, you are considered a “user” who has agreed to the car’s privacy terms by default. 

How Cars Are Collecting Your Data

Put simply, cars these days are essentially smartphones that you sit inside. And, as such, everything you do is being thoroughly tracked for all sorts of nefarious purposes:

• GPS tracking monitors your location and when you move.
  
• In-cabin cameras record your face and behavior.
  
• Microphones listen for voice commands—and anything else you say.
  
• Phone integrations copy your contacts, call logs, text history, and even your calendar.
  
• Biometric scanners (such as facial recognition or fingerprint access) identify exactly who is driving.
  
• Driving behavior sensors track your speed, how hard you brake, and whether you buckle up.
  

Cars now come loaded with 4G or 5G modems, meaning your data isn’t just stored—it’s continuously uploaded in real-time to cloud servers and data centers.

What Are They Doing With Your Data?

The reasons automakers collect data are layered. Some sound harmless—others are anything but.

1 - Enhancing features:

• Improving navigation, voice assistants, driver alerts, and predictive maintenance.
  

2 - Profit-making:

• Selling driving behavior to insurance companies to adjust your premium — sometimes without your consent.
  
• Sharing lifestyle data with advertisers to target you with custom promotions.
  
• Passing location history to data brokers, who repackage and sell it again.
  

3 - Surveillance & law enforcement:

• Over 50% of companies admit to sharing your data with the government or police, even in response to informal requests.
  
• Requests may include an individual’s GPS logs, driving history, and possibly in-cabin footage.
  

4 - Cybersecurity Risks:

• Hackers can steal connected car accounts, remotely control vehicles, and access personal data.
  
• And in cases of domestic abuse, perpetrators have used connected features to stalk or harass victims using vehicle tracking.

How This Data Can Be Used Against You

• Higher insurance premiums are being charged due to unseen "driving scores" being sold behind your back.
  
• Stalking or harassment by abusers with access to vehicle location services.
  
• Legal jeopardy from car data shared with authorities without a warrant.
  
• Identity theft or fraud can occur from stored data in used cars that aren’t wiped before resale.
  
• Manipulative marketing based on psychographic profiles inferred from your habits.
  

In the wrong hands, or even in the wrong boardroom, this data can do real harm.

Top 10 Car Companies Collecting Your Data

Here are 10 of the most notorious automakers when it comes to data collection. The list is in no particular order, but researchers or regulators have highlighted each one due to privacy concerns. For more details on what these companies are doing, read the article These 10 Car Companies Are Collecting an Absurd Volume of Data on You.

• Nissan

• General Motors

• Tesla
  
• Toyota
  
• Ford
  
• Hyundai
  
• Kia
  
• Volkswagen
  
• BMW
  
• Mercedes-Benz

What Can You Do About It?

You can take back some control. Here's how:

• Opt-out of data sharing: Dive into your vehicle’s app or settings and disable every data-sharing toggle you can find.
  
• Disconnect your phone: Only pair it when needed, and never use personal accounts on infotainment systems.
  
• Factory reset before reselling: Wipe all data from the car before trade-in or resale—don’t leave your digital DNA behind.
  
• Use burner apps: If you need GPS or music, consider using a secondary device that doesn’t carry all your sensitive data.
  
• Request data deletion: Contact the manufacturer and demand your data be deleted (especially if your state has data privacy laws).
  
• Avoid voice assistants and connected features that require always-on access or bundled permissions.

Take Control Before It Takes You

The reality is chilling: we pay thousands for cars that profit off our private lives. These machines were supposed to give us freedom — now, they’re the most invasive tech we own.

Aware Force is helping companies and consumers navigate this growing privacy minefield. We develop educational material and cybersecurity content that shines a spotlight on threats like these — and gives people the tools to fight back.

Want to stay ahead of corporate overreach?

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Sources:Mozilla Foundation, Repairer Driven News, Insurance Business Mag, Commsrisks