The "how to disable the data link to Ford" thread

[Jaymar]

I'll go so far as to reaffirm that nobody has any proof that this data is being shared with anybody else. But why would you wait for something to happen before you decide to try and do something about it? Wouldn't you think it's better to dictate what they can and can't do while it is still in your abilities to do so?

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[Hack]

I'll go so far as to reaffirm that nobody has any proof that this data is being shared with anybody else. But why would you wait for something to happen before you decide to try and do something about it? Wouldn't you think it's better to dictate what they can and can't do while it is still in your abilities to do so?

I can tell you on the Chevy side there is data being collected and it is sold. Insurance companies are very interested. And you have no control over what some third party might decide is excessive acceleration or braking. Or excessive speed.

 

[SheepDog]

I got an email from Toyota Insurance Management Solutions last week saying that " I have been identified as a good driver, and could qualify for a Progressive insurance discount if I used their Snapshot B.S. 1st, It's impossible not to be a good driver in a Tacoma, because it is slow as shit. 2nd, they most certainly are sharing this data with insurance companies

 

[MAGS1]

I'll go so far as to reaffirm that nobody has any proof that this data is being shared with anybody else. But why would you wait for something to happen before you decide to try and do something about it? Wouldn't you think it's better to dictate what they can and can't do while it is still in your abilities to do so?

You better believe they’re getting data from not only their own telematics apps but also these manufacturer’s app data (and numerous other sources). I don’t know if any personally identifying information is attached to any 3rd party information they receive but if you’re using an insurance company’s telematics app, they’ve got all your driving habits, down to how frequently you’re braking hard, accelerating aggressively, etc. So, if you’re using said telematics app on track, they’ve got all that info and most likely your geolocation as well.

Long answer short, yes they are getting a bunch of data and it is looked at with some frequency. They have entire departments dedicated to data analytics .

 

[Jaymar]

Folks, please read my post again. I'm in complete agreement that I don't want Ford or anybody else tracking my car and collecting data at my expense. So much so, that even in lieu of proof that they are I've disconnected my telematics because I don't even like that they can if they want to. My response was to the people diminishing the importance of this concept above saying it's no big deal or they probably aren't. I'm not waiting to find out nor am I going to participate in making that normal. Others may of course make their own decisions and decide for themselves what they are willing to trade for what. So long as we're all making informed decisions it's all good by me.

 

[Tomster]

I'll go so far as to reaffirm that nobody has any proof that this data is being shared with anybody else. But why would you wait for something to happen before you decide to try and do something about it? Wouldn't you think it's better to dictate what they can and can't do while it is still in your abilities to do so?

And why not just pull the plug and be sure. If you have to have your Ford Pass connectivity, well then thats another story. A car like the GT500 and GT350 really shouldn't have this kind of connectivity and data reporting.

Lets just say you are out having a "spirited drive" and something god awful occurs. You don't want those kinds of records to be available under a court order.

That Ford Pass App sure is nice......

 

[MAGS1]

Folks, please read my post again. I'm in complete agreement that I don't want Ford or anybody else tracking my car and collecting data at my expense. So much so, that even in lieu of proof that they are I've disconnected my telematics because I don't even like that they can if they want to. My response was to the people diminishing the importance of this concept above saying it's no big deal or they probably aren't. I'm not waiting to find out nor am I going to participate in making that normal. Others may of course make their own decisions and decide for themselves what they are willing to trade for what. So long as we're all making informed decisions it's all good by me.

I was responding more to your wanting to see proof. All I’ll say is a prior employer may or may not have been an insurance co. that is big time into data analytics. Most of the public companies disclose it as part of their upcoming business plans and how they price and determine risk using that data. So yes, they are absolutely getting their hands on this data and Ford (and other manufacturers) are making money off of it.

 

[Rael]

It is called "car data monetization." Mozilla says estimates are that, by 2030, it could be an industry worth $750 billion.

Data gets taken by sensors in cars, microphones, cameras, and other
plugged-in devices. It includes not just driver names and addresses (email and physical) but also contact lists, call records, and text messages; driver’s license numbers; location data showing where people are and have been; voice recordings collected by car voice assistants; biometrics collected by car microphones and cameras; and (according to Mozilla) information about “sexual activity, immigration status, race, facial expressions, weight, health and genetic information.”

(See “Privacy Nightmare on Wheels”: Every Car Brand Reviewed by Mozilla—Including Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota—Flunks Privacy Test, Mozilla (Sept. 6, 2023) and Jen Caltrider et al., "It’s Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy," Mozilla (Sept. 6, 2023).)

 

[Traffic22]

In case you hadn’t guys had not seen the article…..

https://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-hijacking-connected-vehicle-data-smartcar-recurrent-sdv/

 

[308 Cal. Bullitt]

Appeals court rules carmakers can store your data permanently, share it, sell it, & profit from it.

https://www.autoblog.com/2023/11/11...kers-can-store-data-permanently-and-share-it/

The Appellate Court ruled that Ford (thus other automakers) can gather any/all information they have access too, because the judge said so.

Yet, pple on this thread still need more proof that this is a real thing ? Incredible!

Btw, theabove has been going on since ~2014 according to the article.

Tell Ford Pass out loud, (if ya use it)
"you're having a great day, & love your insurer's !!"
Speak clearly & succinctly, into the microphone, for Fords data buying clients!

Buyers will appreciate proper language/ grammar skills, in our emails-text messages.
Especially insurance company's!

 

[hlh1]

I recently retired after 40 years in IT. The last 5+ years of employment really bothered me as I watched employers secretly spy on their employees, and it's lawful for them to do so. It's far easier for you to stick your head in the sand and try to ignore this trend than to do something about it, but don't criticize others who are willing to wisely protect themselves. This surveillance is not for your benefit, it's for the benefit and protection of those who are spying on you.

 

[Hack]

LexisNexis is where the Chevrolet data goes. I'm not aware of a Ford equivalent, but I can't imagine Ford would ignore a major source of revenue.

 

[Rael]

If you want to get an idea of how much data Ford takes from us, or if you just want your eyes to bleed, attached is a copy of Mozilla Foundation's Ford | Privacy and Security Guide.

(Also at https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/ford/.)

 

[Finally21]

Has anyone who has commented on this subject actually been penalized or rates increased as a result of whatever information is being collected. I get it, why wait for something to happen. Sounds like dooms day peppers is that’s your position.

 

[Rael]

When U.S. Customs and Border Protection pulled data from a Ford Explorer that
had been rented at an airport outside Washington D.C., they recovered 70 phones that had been connected to it. "All of their call logs, their contacts and their SMS history, as well as their music preferences, songs that were on their device, and some of their Facebook and Twitter things as well. . . . And it’s quite comical when you sit back and read some of the text messages."

Sam Biddle, Your Car Is Spying on You, and a CBP Contract Shows the Risks, Intercept (May 3, 2021) (quoting a podcast posted on the Cellebrite website, since removed).

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