The Mozilla Foundation has claimed that new cars today are ‘privacy nightmares’ on wheels. An Australian man who had placed a $2,000 deposit on a Toyota Hilux priced at $68,000 last July alleged that the car was not as he expected, as it had tracking and data-sharing capabilities that neither Toyota nor the dealer had disclosed to him. The car’s arrival at the dealership prompted the man to start receiving emails from Toyota, urging him to register for Toyota Connected Services, which offer a suite of technology focused on safety, security, convenience, and driving experience. Upon realizing that the dealer never mentioned these services to him, and following an investigation by Choice, he learned that the Connected Services feature includes movement tracking and personal data collection.
After conducting extensive research into the privacy policies and becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Toyota Connected Services and its data handling practices, the customer demanded that the dealership remove the features from his car. The dealership allegedly refused, informing him that doing so would void the warranty and insurance, prompting the customer to cancel the order. Despite expressing privacy concerns and canceling the order, the customer says the deposit was refused and prompted him to lodge complaints with regulatory authorities.
Echoing the concerns of the Australian customer, the Mozilla Foundation has objected to similar practices across car brands, claiming cars are a major privacy concern. A 2023 report by the foundation noted that all 25 major car brands collect more personal data than necessary, with 84% sharing or selling data to third parties. This includes extremely sensitive data such as sexual activity, immigration status, race, facial expressions, weight, health, genetic information and travel patterns, compromising driver privacy. According to the report, only Renault and Dacia provide drivers with the option to delete their data. The foundation’s report was released following a conclusion into the matter by the foundation, reflecting the findings of the Mozilla Foundation.
Ibrahim Khalil, a professor at RMIT University, also commented on the complex challenge of privacy protection, emphasizing that car manufacturers’ claims of collecting data to improve driving safety through AI are only part of the story, as the collected data can be abused. Following the customer’s request for the refund of his $2,000 deposit, Toyota Australia has assured him that his deposit will be refunded in full.