The Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Technology has issued a warning to automakers that sell connected cars. Companies that offer such products “do not have the free license to monetize people’s information beyond purposes needed to provide their requested product or service,” it wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. Just because executives and investors want recurring revenue streams, that does not “outweigh the need for meaningful privacy safeguards,” the FTC wrote.
In 2023, the Mozilla Foundation published an extensive report examining the various automakers’ policies regarding the use of data from connected cars; the report concluded that “cars are the worst product category we have ever reviewed for privacy.”
The FTC is not taking specific action against any automaker at this point. Instead, the blog post is meant to be a warning to the industry. It says that “connected cars have been on the FTC’s radar for years,” although the agency appears to have done very little other than hold workshops in 2013 and 2018, as well as publishing guidance for consumers reminding them to wipe the data from their cars before selling them.
The FTC says the easiest way to comply is to not collect the data in the first place.
they will legalize the illegal data collection and give them a big resounding slap on the wrist
Yes, laws don’t work, libre software does.
Only works because these cars come infected with anti-libre software by design (bans us from removing malicious source code) because people don’t see this attack. Target anti-libre multiplayer software, file formats (Microsoft Office/Photoshop), socials (YouTube -> NewPipe) and chat (WhatsApp/Discord). This is the best ROI to create openings to blackpill normies on anti-libre software.
The FTC is not taking specific action against any automaker at this point. Instead, the blog post is meant to be a warning to the industry.
So, the only thing that will change will either be a tiny EULA on the underside of the car, or car companies will hire better security teams to keep the data collection hidden.
Or they will end up charged by the FTC later down the road.
These days companies see fines as just a little fee for doing business.
We’ve seen fines for other companies.
Worst case, they have to.pay, what. 10% of their earnings back as fines? That’s still definitely worth it to them.
Just reinforcing the do first, apologize later mentality. They’ll get away with as much as they possibly can, then drop an “I’m sowwy” like a BP CEO in South Park.
Not even an apology. They’ll spend money smearing the FTC leader. And call it a witch hunt. And publicize all the people who will lose their jobs if the company has to pay these fines.
And they are hedging their bets that Trump becomes president and the FTC gets gutted, so there won’t be any fines anyway.
