Modern cars are more like smartphones on wheels. Like our cell phones, they are chock full of sensors, computer chips and software, and they're connected to the internet 24/7 via cellular modems. What data is being collected? Who owns this data? How secure is your data? Who is it being shared with? And most importantly, what - if anything - can you do about it? Since we last spoke with Privacy4Car's Andrea Amico, his company has released a powerful new Vehicle Privacy Report tool that aims to answer at least some of these questions and help you to be a more informed car buyer. Today we'll delve into the murky world of car data collection and privacy.

Andrea Amico is one of the nation’s leading authorities on vehicle privacy and cybersecurity. He is also the founder of Privacy4Cars, the first and only privacy-tech company focused on identifying the challenges posed by vehicle data.

Interview Notes

Privacy4Cars: https://privacy4cars.com/ 

Vehicle Privacy Report tool: https://vehicleprivacyreport.com/ 

Assert your data rights: https://privacy4cars.com/personal-use/assert-your-data-rights/ 

Previous interview: Driving Data Privacy for Cars https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2021/09/13/driving-data-privacy-for-cars/ 

New privacy rules will impact your shop: https://www.autoserviceworld.com/new-privacy-rules-will-impact-your-shop/ 

Who Is Collecting Data From Your Car? https://themarkup.org/the-breakdown/2022/07/27/who-is-collecting-data-from-your-car 

Further Info

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book 

Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

0:04:38: What has happened with Privacy4Cars since we last spoke?

0:06:17: Why are cars collecting so much data? How private is this data?

0:09:31: You say cars are "cell phones on wheels" - what does that mean?

0:10:24: Are cars connected even when turned off?

0:11:55: What types of data is my car collecting?

0:14:16: Do electric cars gather more data than regular cars?

0:16:54: Do cameras built into your car represent a privacy risk?

0:21:51: Who can access my car's data? Can I access it myself?

0:27:25: Who owns the data in rental or fleet cars? What about wrecked cars?

0:32:24: Cars now have smartphone apps - what data are they collecting?

0:37:18: How do I know if I've opted in to data collection?

0:40:42: Can I opt of of data collection? If so, how?

0:44:20: What about Apple's CarPlay or Google's Android Auto?

0:49:37: How do I know which cars best respect my privacy?

0:55:08: How does the Vehicle Privacy Report tool work?

0:57:14: What does this tool tell me about a car?

1:00:43: What's the value of this tool for car makers and dealerships?

1:06:09: What's next for your company and the reporting tool?

1:09:49: Interview follow-up notes