Ford has made a public commitment on connected-car data. The Ford Privacy Promise, announced Monday, comes with a website explaining what data its vehicles collect, how it's used, and how owners can change their settings in the car or in the Ford App.
What Ford says
- Ford says it "never" sells data about how you drive your vehicle to data brokers. Its FAQ also answers "No" to whether it sells that data to insurance companies.
- Owners can opt out of sharing connected-vehicle data entirely. If they do, features such as BlueCruise, internet connectivity and vehicle location in the app won't work.
- Owners of vehicles built in 2018 or later should check the vehicle screen for data and privacy settings.
- Resources for Lincoln customers, Mexico and Canada are due "in the coming weeks."
The survey
Chief privacy officer Kristin Jones told TechCrunch that Ford surveyed 1,000 consumers and 91% said data privacy was a key consideration. TechCrunch also cites polling showing only 14% of U.S. customers fully understand what data their vehicle collects.
Context
TechCrunch notes that General Motors got into trouble with the FTC over selling driver data and agreed to a $220 million settlement with 36 states last week. Startup Slate Auto has also pitched itself as a better steward of customer data. Jones said the effort comes ahead of more connected vehicles, including those on Ford's upcoming universal EV platform. For Tesla owners, it's a reminder that how carmakers handle connected-car data is now a selling point.