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Carmakers Keep Data On Drivers' Locations From Navigation Systems

Posted by Soulskill on from the driving-us-crazy dept.

cold fjord writes "The Detroit News reports, 'A government report finds that major automakers are keeping information about where drivers have been — collected from onboard navigation systems — for varying lengths of time. Owners of those cars can't demand that the information be destroyed. And, says the U.S. senator requesting the investigation, that raises questions about driver privacy. The Government Accountability Office in a report released Monday found major automakers have differing policies about how much data they collect and how long they keep it. Automakers collect location data in order to provide drivers with real-time traffic information, to help find the nearest gas station or restaurant, and to provide emergency roadside assistance and stolen vehicle tracking. But, the report found, "If companies retained data, they did not allow consumers to request that their data be deleted, which is a recommended practice."'"

5 of 189 comments (clear)

  1. All across America by istartedi · · Score: 5, Funny

    All across America, well polished and maintained '57 Chevy convertibles just got that much cooler.

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    For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    1. Re:All across America by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      In today's weather, though, not one would start.

    2. Re:All across America by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A better question, why isn't the data automatically destroyed?

      Because it's valuable to them. Because they'd love to have your car recommend a nearby restaurant. Because they can.

      Welcome to a world ruled by Terms of Service and End User Licenses, and where corporate greed isn't regulated by privacy laws.

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      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    3. Re:All across America by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Frankly, so what if someone know where you drove to last year.

      Until your wife demands it for divorce proceedings which prove you were at your mistress when you should have been at work.

      Or until someone decides that the fact that you were in Little Italy means you might be associated with organized crime.

      Or any number of ways in which you don't expect your location to be constantly broadcast to a 3rd party, and be something which comes back to bite you in the ass.

      Frankly, I would like the automotive companies to keep it forever but have to get my permission to give it to the government and that the government must serve ME with a warrant to get the data.

      You are aware of the Patriot Act, right? The one which says they can walk into a company, demand your data, and it would be illegal for them to tell you about it?

      Sorry, but as long as they can use national security laws to get this data, putting it into the hands of companies is no solution.

      Sadly, people have known OnStar would have this capability for years.

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      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  2. They're not the only ones by rlwhite · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was in a meeting today with a state DOT official who showed how his department buys monthly GPS tracking data on all traffic in the state, combined from companies including TomTom, Garmin, AT&T, etc. by a private company and processed by the University of Maryland. He was able to use it to prioritize road improvements and later show the benefits of those improvements. The data he had (average speeds for small stretches of road at hourly intervals) was quite granular and powerful for what he was doing but innocuous from a privacy perspective. The question should be, who else are these companies selling the data to and in what form?