Beware – Your Car Can Spy on You!

Cars can do a lot for us these days.  They tell us how to get someplace, let us know when we need the oil changed, update us on tire pressure, remote start, and even let us know if we are stressed and have high blood pressure!  Voice commands are great as it keeps our eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.  This is all good…or is it?

Our cars, like our smart phones and other devices, collect an amazing amount of data on us.  They even share this data! Just like all our connected devices, it can be hacked.  Most people don’t even think about this, and many aren’t aware that their car can upload data to the cloud and other servers.  

What can you do to protect your privacy?  

*Before purchasing a car, always review the privacy policy. Knowing what and how the information is collected and how it is used goes a long way to secure your information.

*When purchasing a used vehicle, make sure the previous owners’ information is wiped clean by requesting a factory reset.

*When selling your vehicle, make sure your information is also wiped clean.

Think of your car as a smart phone on wheels. That will help you make intelligent decisions on what software to download, which online services to access and how to minimize the data collected on you. We all must be more aware these days. We hope this article helps you maintain your privacy.