Does More In-Car Tech Mean Less Privacy?

From websites to the Facebook messenger app, privacy policies are part of everyday life in 2014. This is also a time when automotive is becoming more and more connected than ever before. GM vehicles have been equipped with OnStar for years, however built-in 4G LTE internet will soon become a motorists reality. The government, in its pursuit of safety has also mandated that vehicles be equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle technology in the coming years. The goal is for cars to “talk” to each other and prevent accidents. However, as vehicles have more digital abilities, the question that continues to come up is how much privacy one will have behind the wheel of a technologically advanced vehicle? Who will have access to personal information? Will it be hackers, or perhaps the government?

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers sought to ease some of those fears in regards to automakers last month. The group of automakers came together and drafted basic privacy principals. Christopher Wolf, a lawyer who worked on the principals told the Washington Post, “The sooner the industry can be seen as taking privacy seriously, the better off consumers will be—and the better off the industry will be, because there’ll be trust.”

That trust will need to be continually built up as cars become more and more reliant upon technology. One of the ways in which vehicles will be mandated to be technology sound is that of V2V technology. The concept is that if cars can send signals about position and velocity back and forth it will prevent accidents as the vehicles make sounds to warn drivers. On this issue, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said, in a statement, “This technology could move us from helping people survive crashes to helping them avoid crashes altogether.” The technology could save lives. OnStar and 4G LTE systems can help stranded motorists who need assistance.

However, who has access to your in-car WiFi? Can the government access your location, speed, braking and seatbelt data by flipping a switch? The privacy policy mentioned earlier is coming from automakers, not the government and never from hackers. Until consumers can feel that more technology won’t pose a greater risk, skepticism and mistrust will continue.

Have you had customers ask you about privacy concerns involving in-car technology? What would you tell a customer who did? How can these concerns be resolved?