California Privacy Agency to Probe Automakers’ Driver Data Recording and Usage
A Privacy Rights Agency in California to Review Vehicle Manufacturers’ Data Collection Practices
Officials in California have recently announced that a privacy rights agency will be conducting a review of the practice by vehicle manufacturers to collect private information from drivers.
The enforcement division of the California Privacy Protection Agency 2020 will be specifically asking manufacturers about their user data collection, which includes location sharing, web-based entertainment, smartphone use, and cameras.
According to a press release published by the agency on July 31, vehicles often gather driver locations, personal preferences, and details about their daily lives.
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“Modern vehicles are effectively connected computers on wheels,” said Ashkan Soltani, the agency’s executive director. “They’re able to collect a wealth of information via built-in apps, sensors, and cameras, which can monitor people both inside and near the vehicle.”
The agency is investigating whether car companies are complying with California privacy law in their collection and use of vehicle data.
With over 35 million registered vehicles in California, the issue of data collection is a concern for all residents who drive, ride in, or walk near a car equipped with these technologies, according to the agency.
In May, a U.S.-based automotive firm called Privacy4Cars launched a new online tool called the Vehicle Privacy Report. This tool allows users to input their vehicle identification number and find out how much data their car is collecting.
The Vehicle Privacy Report informs vehicle owners about the information being sold and to whom, including location status and biometrics such as voice, facial recognition, and fingerprints. It also reveals if that information is being sent to the government, service providers, insurance companies, or data brokers.
According to Andrea Amico, the founder of Privacy4Cars, most modern cars are like “smartphones on wheels” as they can collect and wirelessly transmit data back to manufacturers.
The California Privacy Protection Agency was created in November 2020 after voters approved Proposition 24, the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020. This act expanded privacy protection under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018. The agency, governed by a five-member board, is the first independent data protection authority in the United States to implement and enforce these regulations.
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