Auto Brands Score Abysmally on Consumer Privacy
Mozilla says all 25 it researched appear more focused on sharing, selling information than keeping it secure.

Just two reviewed brands give consumers the right to delete their personal data.
IMAGE: Pexels/Erik McIean
Mozilla, the foundation behind the Mozilla Firefox web browser, says cars are the worst product when it comes to consumers’ privacy.
In a review of 25 auto brands, it gave all 25 its “Privacy Not Included” warning label, “making cars the official worst category of products for privacy that we have ever reviewed.”
Mozilla declare cars “terrible” at handling consumers’ personal information, saying they collect too much personal data, that most of them share or sell that data and give consumers little to no control over its use, and that it couldn’t learn whether any brand meets its minimum security standards.
“It’s so strange to us that dating apps and sex toys publish more detailed security information than cars,” it said in its report.
Mozilla said all the brands it researched use consumer data for things other than the car’s operation or their relationships with drivers. That’s all the more relevant because it says automakers have many more chances to collect such data than do other “smart” devices.
Collected data can include things that have nothing to do with driving, such as medical information and how fast the consumer drives, and automakers can even infer things about the driver, such as intelligence and interests, Mozilla said. The data, including personal information, can be sold to service providers, data brokers and others.
Just two brands give consumers the right to delete their personal data.
Mozilla said it couldn’t determine if any brands’ models encrypt personal data, which is its minimum standard, and that it gave 68% of them its “bad track record” for data breaches that compromised consumer privacy.
More Dealer Ops

How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
What Market Timing Mistakes Mean for Your Reinsurance Program
When volatility hits, dealer-owned reinsurance programs face a familiar temptation: pull back and wait for calmer waters. New data from BOK Financial shows why that instinct can quietly cost you years of surplus growth.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →
Managing Risk Effectively Through Changing Times
The variables influencing risk pricing have changed significantly over the past five years. Being proactive and responsive to emerging trends is not optional but essential.
Read More →
Survey Reveals What Won't Fix What's Breaking Car Sales
AutoPayPlus says extra-long auto loans are trapping consumers and threatening the dealer trade-in cycle, and that the industry is leveraging the wrong tools to combat high MSRPs.
Read More →
IA American Appoints Two Execs
Senior vice presidents of the company's agent and dealer channels chosen to support general agents and help auto dealers with sales and performance.
Read More →
