Connected car privacy is the control drivers and passengers have over the location, driving behaviour, phone and other personal data that a modern vehicle and its apps collect and share. Most new cars carry a built-in cellular connection, and the data they send can end up with the manufacturer, data brokers, insurers and anyone who can log into the car's app. In January 2026 the US Federal Trade Commission finalised an order against General Motors and OnStar after alleging that precise location and driving data was sold without consent, which shows the problem is not hypothetical. This guide explains, from the owner's and driver's point of view, what your car collects, where that data goes, how to limit it, what to do before selling a car or returning a rental, and how location access can be abused. It is written for privacy-minded drivers, the security and privacy teams that advise employees and fleet users, and support staff who help people at risk of tracking. For the engineering side of vehicle security, see the Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Security Guide.
Key takeaways
- Your car is a location tracker: the FTC treats geolocation as sensitive data and notes that cars reveal persistent, precise location much as phones do.
- Data sharing is the norm, not the exception: Mozilla's review of 25 car brands found 84 percent say they can share personal data and 76 percent say they can sell it.
- Driving data can reach insurers: the FTC's GM order bans sharing geolocation and driver behaviour data with consumer reporting agencies for five years, and Texas sued Allstate and Arity in January 2025 alleging app-collected driving data was used to set premiums.
- Selling or returning a car is a data event: phone contacts, home and work addresses, garage door codes and live app access can stay with the car unless you remove them.
- App access can enable stalking: anyone still logged into the manufacturer's app may be able to locate, unlock or monitor the car, so review account access after a relationship ends.
What it is
A connected car is any vehicle that sends or receives data over a network: an embedded cellular modem (often called the telematics unit), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth links to phones, or an insurer's plug-in device. Connected car privacy covers what data is collected through those links, who receives it, for what purpose, and what choices the driver, owner and passengers have.
The FTC lists the categories plainly: connected cars can gather biometric data, precise location, telematics, video and other personal information. Mozilla's review of manufacturer privacy policies found categories that go well beyond driving, including medical and genetic information, sexual activity, music played in the car and inferences about drivers' intelligence, abilities and interests. Not every car collects all of these, but the policies allow it.
| Data type | Where it comes from | Typical recipients |
|---|---|---|
| Precise location and trip history | Built-in GPS and telematics unit; navigation; manufacturer app | Manufacturer, connected service provider, data partners, emergency services |
| Driving behaviour (speed, hard braking, acceleration, time of day) | Vehicle sensors via telematics; insurer apps; plug-in devices | Manufacturer, insurers, data brokers and consumer reporting agencies where shared |
| Phone data (contacts, call logs, messages) | Bluetooth or USB pairing with the infotainment system | Stored in the car; may be retained after unpairing unless cleared |
| Accounts and credentials | App logins on infotainment, streaming and connected services | Stored in the car; linked online accounts |
| Cabin and camera data | Interior and exterior cameras, voice assistants, driver monitoring | Manufacturer and service providers, depending on model and settings |
| Home and device codes | Saved addresses, garage door openers | Stored in the car |
How it works
Data moves through four channels. Knowing which one carries what tells you which setting to change.
- The car to the manufacturer: the telematics unit sends location, diagnostics and driving data to the manufacturer's cloud. Connected services such as remote start, stolen vehicle tracking and emergency calls depend on it, and enrolment often happens at the dealership.
- The manufacturer to third parties: privacy policies allow sharing with service providers, data brokers and other businesses. The FTC alleged that GM used a misleading enrolment process for OnStar and its Smart Driver feature and sold precise location and driving behaviour data to third parties without consent.
- Your phone and apps: the manufacturer's app links your account to the car and can show its location and control it. Separately, other apps on your phone can collect driving data. The Texas Attorney General alleged that Arity paid developers to embed its software in apps including GasBuddy, Fuel Rewards and Routely to track location and build a driving behaviour database covering over 45 million consumers; these are allegations, and the case has not been decided.
- Data left in the car: the infotainment system keeps paired phones, contacts, navigation history and logins locally, which matters when the car changes hands.
Consent is often assumed. Mozilla found policies that treat passengers as having consented by being in the car (Subaru), require owners to tell all occupants about data practices (Nissan), or warn that opting out may reduce functionality (Tesla). Only Renault and Dacia, sold in Europe where GDPR applies, said all drivers could have their data deleted.
How to limit what your car shares
- Read the connected services terms you accepted. Log into the manufacturer's app or web portal and look for privacy, data sharing or connected services settings. Note any "driving score", "smart driver" or insurance programme you are enrolled in.
- Turn off what you do not use. Opt out of data sharing for marketing and third parties, and of driving behaviour programmes. Under the FTC order, GM must let US consumers turn off precise geolocation collection where the vehicle supports it and opt out of geolocation and driver behaviour collection, with limited exceptions. Other manufacturers may offer similar controls; check yours.
- Request your data and its deletion. Where a manufacturer offers access and deletion (GM must under the order, and US state privacy laws give residents of many states these rights), ask for a copy to see what is held, then ask for deletion.
- Check consumer reporting files. If you think driving data affected an insurance quote, you can ask consumer reporting agencies for a copy of your file under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- Limit phone sync. Pair for calls and audio only; decline contact and message sync where offered. Use phone projection modes knowing that they also share some data with the car.
- Review phone apps. Remove location permission from apps that do not need it, especially fuel, rewards and driving apps you did not knowingly sign up for to track trips. See the Location Data Privacy Guide.
Before you sell, trade in or return a car
The FTC's consumer advice is to clear personal data before the car leaves you. Cars hold phone contacts, app logins, music, navigation locations such as home and work, and garage door codes.
- Unpair every phone and delete the device list.
- Clear navigation history and saved addresses.
- Log out of streaming, email and other accounts in the infotainment system.
- Remove garage door and gate codes from built-in openers.
- Cancel or transfer connected services, Wi-Fi hotspots and subscriptions.
- Remove the car from your manufacturer app account, so you can no longer see or control it and the next owner can enrol.
- Run the factory reset if the car has one, but check afterwards: the FTC notes a reset may not cover everything.
Rental, loaner and shared cars: if you pair a phone with a rental, the car may keep your contacts and call history for the next driver. Prefer a USB cable for charging only, or pair and then delete your device before returning the car.
Why it matters
- Insurance and financial decisions: driving behaviour data can feed risk scores. The FTC's GM order addresses this directly by banning disclosure to consumer reporting agencies for five years.
- Tracking and abuse: the FTC notes reports that connected car data could be used to stalk people. In practice the risk is often a former partner or family member who still has access to the car's app account or a key fob paired with it. See the Spyware and Stalkerware Guide.
- Sensitive inferences: location history reveals visits to clinics, places of worship and shelters. The FTC's X-Mode and InMarket orders restrict selling such sensitive location data in other industries.
- Government requests: Mozilla found 56 percent of brands say they can share data with government or law enforcement on request, including informal requests in at least one policy.
- Security of stored data: Mozilla could not confirm that any of the 25 brands met its minimum security standards, and 17 had a record of leaks, hacks or breaches in the previous three years.
Abuse risk: a checklist for people who may be tracked
| Check | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Who is on the manufacturer app account | Account holders and invited drivers can often see location and lock or unlock remotely | Remove other users; change the account password and enable multi-factor authentication; if you are not the account holder, contact the manufacturer |
| Paired phones and keys | A phone key or second fob gives physical access | Review paired keys and phones in the car menu; remove unknown ones. See the Digital Car Key and Keyless Entry Security Guide |
| Connected service subscriptions | The subscriber may receive alerts and trip data | Ask the provider who the subscriber is and transfer or cancel |
| Plug-in devices | Insurance or aftermarket trackers in the diagnostic port can report location | Check the port under the dashboard; ask a trusted mechanic |
| Safety first | Removing access can alert the abuser | Plan changes with a domestic abuse support service before acting |
Common misconceptions
- "I never signed up, so nothing is shared." Enrolment often happens at purchase; the FTC alleged GM's enrolment process was misleading. Check your account.
- "A factory reset wipes everything." The FTC says a reset may not cover all data or connections; also remove the car from your app account and cancel services.
- "Only my car's maker has my driving data." Phone apps can collect driving data independently, as the Texas case against Allstate and Arity alleges.
- "Opting out breaks the car." Some services (remote start, app location) need data, but marketing and third-party sharing usually can be turned off without affecting driving. Read the specific warning before deciding.
- "Passengers are not affected." Some policies treat passengers as consenting by being in the car.
- "Privacy law already covers it everywhere." Rights depend on where you live: GDPR in Europe, state privacy laws in many US states, and enforcement by bodies such as the FTC and state attorneys general. See the US State Privacy Laws Guide.
Related concepts
| Concept | How it relates |
|---|---|
| Telematics and usage-based insurance | Insurance priced on driving data, collected by apps, plug-in devices or the car itself; opt in knowingly |
| Data brokers | Businesses that buy and resell personal data, including location; some states require registration and offer deletion. See the California Delete Act and Data Broker Registration Guide |
| Location privacy | The wider set of controls for phones, apps and devices that reveal where you are |
| Vehicle cybersecurity | Engineering controls (secure updates, key management) that stop data being stolen rather than shared; see the Automotive Cybersecurity Guide |
| Fleet and company cars | Employers may receive location data from company vehicles; employee monitoring rules apply. See the Employee Monitoring and Privacy Guide |
| Machine identities in the car | The car's telematics unit, app tokens and digital keys are credentials; whoever holds them can access the car's data |
Practitioner checklist
- Log into the manufacturer app and list every connected service and driving programme you are enrolled in.
- Opt out of third-party and marketing data sharing and driving behaviour collection you do not want.
- Request a copy of your vehicle data and ask for deletion where offered.
- Remove location permission from phone apps that do not need it.
- Review app account users, paired phones and digital keys every few months and after any relationship change.
- Before selling or returning a car: unpair phones, clear addresses and codes, log out, cancel services, remove the car from your account, factory reset.
- For organisations: give employees a one-page guide for company and rental cars, and include vehicle accounts in leaver processes.
- Track measures for a fleet: share of vehicles with sharing settings reviewed, leavers removed from vehicle apps within a day, and pooled cars reset between drivers.
Standards and references
- FTC: FTC finalizes order settling allegations GM and OnStar collected and sold geolocation data without consumers' informed consent
- FTC: Cars and Consumer Data, On Unlawful Collection and Use
- FTC Consumer Advice: Selling your car? Clear your personal data first
- FTC: FTC order prohibits data broker X-Mode Social and Outlogic from selling sensitive location data
- Mozilla Foundation: Cars are the worst product category we have ever reviewed for privacy
- Hunton Andrews Kurth: Texas AG sues Allstate for violations of Texas privacy law
Related NHI Mgmt Group resources: Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Security Guide · Location Data Privacy Guide · Digital Car Key and Keyless Entry Security Guide · Spyware and Stalkerware Guide