TECH BYTE: Researchers Concerned Over Lack of Car Data Privacy

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A new study shows your car could be spying on you.

Your cell phone or tablet isn’t the only computer in your car.

Auto makers are calling cars themselves computers on wheels, and using them to collect your data.

That’s according to a new study by the Mozilla Foundation.

In that study, researchers say cars are the worst product category they have ever reviewed for privacy.

They say cars can “watch, listen, and collect information about what you do and where you go” in them.

Mozilla looked at 25 car brands – all earning their *Privacy Not Included warning label.

In their findings, Mozilla said all of those brands collected too much personal data, and 84 percent of them share or sell that data.

Researchers say all but two of the 25 car brands gave drivers little to no control over their personal data.

It’s more than on just your driving habits.

Mozilla adds they saw “sex life” mentioned in data collected in privacy policies – even genetic and health information.

Mozilla researchers also spent more than 600 hours researching the car brands’ privacy practices.

They say none of those policies promised a full picture of how your data is used and shared.

If you want to do something about it, Mozilla has a petition you can sign to ask car companies to respect drivers’ privacy, and stop huge data collection programs.

You can read the study for yourself, and sign the petition here.